Misuse of handicapped parking spaces by able drivers is a scurrilous practice. We're glad to see that the state is instituting new rules to crack down on it.
Today, the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles will begin issuing new placards and license plates for the disabled. The biggest change will be in the hanging placards disabled drivers and passengers place on their rearview mirrors.
New placards will have photos and a certificate verifying the eligibility of the holder. Existing ones, which don't have the photo, are good until they expire or until Dec. 31, 2012, whichever comes first.
The changes are an effort to prevent the illegal use of handicapped placards by able-bodied residents. Unfortunately, this happens far too often in cities across the state.
People with placards can park free in metered spaces. But a 2008 investigation by The (Charleston) Post and Courier revealed that hospital workers, downtown merchants and others were using parking placards to cheat the city out of thousands of dollars in parking meter revenue.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Rock Hill Herald.
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