Roadwise States Mississippi Driving lessons Squatted vehicles & tire checks Mississippi driving lesson · Vehicle Equipment & Safe Driving Basics
Squatted vehicles & tire checks A 3-minute lesson from the Mississippi course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Vehicle Equipment & Safe Driving Basics
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 20, 21 Mississippi bans 'squatted' vehicles: cars and trucks altered so the front sits much higher than the rear. And whatever you drive, worn or underinflated tires cut your grip on the road, so the handbook teaches a quick penny test.
Know the rule
It's unlawful to drive a passenger motor vehicle on Mississippi streets or highways if altering the suspension, frame or chassis has raised the front fender 4 or more inches higher than the rear fender.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ 4 inches Front fender raised this much or more above the rear fender = illegal squatted vehicle
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Squatted vehicle A vehicle whose front fenders have been raised four or more inches higher than the rear fenders, so it looks like it's squatting on its back tires.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Fender The pressed and formed part mounted over the road wheels to reduce splashing of mud, water or similar substances.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Know the rule
Fender height is measured vertically from the ground, through the centerline of the wheel, to the bottom of the fender.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Know the rule
Before driving, check tire pressure with a gauge. It should match the recommended PSI in the owner's manual or on the driver's side door jamb.
Handbook p. 21 ↗ Know the rule
Check your tires for wear and damage once a month, or before any long road trip.
Handbook p. 21 ↗ The penny test for tread: Hold the penny by Abraham Lincoln's body between your thumb and forefinger Where the tread looks lowest, place Lincoln's head into one of the grooves If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, you have a safe amount of tread If the tread is below that, your grip on the road in adverse conditions is greatly reduced Handbook p. 21 ↗ The penny test Put it into practice
Your friend's pickup was modified so the front fender sits 5 inches higher than the rear fender. That's 4 or more inches, so it's an illegal squatted vehicle on Mississippi streets and highways.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Under Mississippi's squatted vehicle law, a vehicle is illegal if the front fender is how much higher than the rear fender? 2 or more inches 4 or more inches 8 or more inches 6 or more inches Answer: 4 or more inches
Raising the front fender four or more inches higher than the rear fender violates the squatted vehicle law.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Using the penny test on a tire, what indicates the tread is still at a safe depth? No part of the penny fits in the groove The entire penny disappears into the tread The tread reaches the rim of the penny Part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread Answer: Part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread
If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, the tire has a safe amount of tread remaining.
Handbook p. 21 ↗ Where can you find the recommended tire PSI for your vehicle? The tire's sidewall The vehicle registration card The vehicle's insurance card The owner's manual or the driver's side door jamb Answer: The owner's manual or the driver's side door jamb
The recommended tire pressure is located in the owner's manual or on the driver's side door jamb.
Handbook p. 21 ↗ How does the handbook define a vehicle's "fender" for purposes of the squatted vehicle law? The wheel well liner only The pressed and formed part over the wheels that reduces splashing of mud or water The bumper at the front or rear of the vehicle Any decorative trim on the vehicle's body Answer: The pressed and formed part over the wheels that reduces splashing of mud or water
The fender is defined as the pressed and formed part mounted over the road wheels to reduce splashing.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ After a suspension lift, a car's front fender sits 3 inches higher than its rear fender. Under the squatted vehicle law, it is: Illegal, because any front lift is banned Legal only with an inspection sticker Legal, because the difference is under 4 inches Illegal on highways but legal on city streets Answer: Legal, because the difference is under 4 inches
The law bans a front fender raised four or more inches above the rear, so a 3-inch difference is not a squatted vehicle.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Mississippi's squatted vehicle law only applies to commercial trucks, not ordinary passenger vehicles. True False Answer: False
The law applies to any passenger motor vehicle driven on Mississippi streets or highways.
Handbook p. 20 ↗ Previous lesson Required vehicle equipment Next lesson Vision, fatigue & long drives More in Vehicle Equipment & Safe Driving Basics About the source Roadwise’s Mississippi course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 20, 21. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check Mississippi’s DPS. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.
