Under a new law that took effect in January, South Carolina has joined other states in taking a simple, smart step to curb the fraudulent use of handicapped parking placards by able-bodied jerks.

The new South Carolina placard includes a small photo of the handicapped person to whom the placard was issued.

The photo makes it more difficult for, say, a handicapped person's lazy nephew to get away with abusing handicapped parking privileges in commercial parking lots and on-street parking spots.

This looks like a good idea for North Carolina to consider. It could help free up handicapped spaces near mall entrances for the people who need them. It could reduce the numbers of non-handicapped slugs who park on the street all day in downtown Raleigh.

North Carolina recently changed the law slightly, to provide larger type for the placard expiration date. That's a tiny, timid improvement.

While we wait for our legislators to really strengthen the law, there's something our DMV could do on its own: Publish simple, clear information that spells out who can use handicapped parking placards -- and who can't.

Here's how the South Carolina DMV explains this in brochures and on its website: ... [MORE]

Lots of comment today, and still some confusion, about North Carolina’s handicapped parking laws and how they are abused (see Road Worrier column with reader comments).

Lax law enforcement is the main problem, says Christina Ulrich, who has had a placard for 28 years and carries a registration card that identifies her as the registered person:

The law does not enforce any of the rules in the first place. Half the time nobody has a handicapped card yet they park in a handicapped spot. And the law enforcement rides right by, and they don’t write a ticket. If these people got tickets they would stop parking where they don’t belong in the first place.

Annie Formo of Wilson, whose husband has a handicapped placard, agrees.

I believe that most police officers have the ability to approach drivers to question their handicap. If there is an ID card the problem would be simple. The big problem is with the indignant people who already know they are guilty and I am sure an officer could handle that problem.

It certainly is true that enforcement is spotty and inconsistent. In Raleigh's downtown central business district, for example, ... [MORE]

A lot of questions are being debated in online comments posted with today's Road Worrier column about downtown parking.

Will Raleigh create new problems when it replaces free on-street parking in the central city with new-fangled coin-or-credit pay stations?

For that matter, will it solve any of downtown's existing problems?

More foolishness over the downtown district. Spend many millions of
taxpayer money trying to entice a few more people to come downtown, and
then take away the last free parking option. Only 16% of our jobs are
within a generous 3 miles of downtown Raleigh. ... platowasright

I imagine we'll still see all the spaces filled up with cars bearing
handicapped placards and perfectly healthy people walking away. - dwcatty

It's true that city and state officials and local police have done nothing to curb (oops!) the rampant abuse of handicapped parking placards. Easily one-third of the downtown street spots are hogged day in and day out by cars with handicapped placards, and clearly more than a few of these involve drivers and passengers who are not handicapped. ... [MORE]

All we need to fix our handicapped parking problem is new state legislation, a diligent DMV and a vigilant police department. Is that asking too much?

Now that DMV has drivers' digital mugshots on file, it would be easy to start printing names and photos on handicapped parking placards. That's what Hillsborough resident Mark Gordon would like to see in North Carolina.

If that was your Uncle Bob's name and face on the Massachusetts placard you see here, you'd be less likely to get away with hijacking it for your own selfish, freeloading, lazy purposes. ("It works good up in Virginia," where the placards are printed with the handicapped person's name, says former Virginia resident Ed Gilliam.)

That means people who need handicapped parking spots — you know, people who actually have a physical disability — would be able to find them.

Here are more recommendations.

From Verne Schmickley of Raleigh, a rehabilitation psychologist who works with disabled folks: . . .

The abuse of handicapped-parking placards isn't just a downtown problem, and it isn't just a hassle for downtown shoppers.

It hurts mall shoppers and hockey fans, too.

Laird Tambling says he and his wife share Hurricanes season tickets with two other families. His wife has emphysema.

When they try to park near their seats on the west side of the RBC Center, even an hour before the game, they find that the small number of handicapped-reserved spots are taken already — some of them by people clearly in the prime of health. So the Tamblings have to park on the east side of the RBC, and it's a long difficult walk to reach their seats at the far end of the arena.

We've reduced our number of games this year (mainly because the price increased 50%), but may find that we won't renew next year at all because of the parking situation.

This is just an example, Bruce, of how people misusing the handicap parking hurts those who need it. It would be nice if those in charge would monitor the Handicap Card Users, like the Garner police, mentioned in your article. Anyone with a card is obligated to carry an ID card in their vehicle. If it doesn't match one of the people in the car, they should not be allowed to enter the area. . . .

A lot of people are suspicious of some drivers who make use of handicapped parking placards but appear to be in robust health. This is a big issue in downtown Raleigh, and elsewhere.

Christine Trevillini’s daughter uses a wheelchair, and at Triangle Town Center she sometimes confronts healthy people who hog the handicapped spots.

They park their car in a handicap space with tag and walk the mall for over an hour. I know, I have followed them before. ...

They said they came to the mall for “exercise” prescribed by their doctor. And I said, “Then why did you park in the handicap place?” At that they ignored me and kept moving.

Lynn Carter’s job requires her to visit downtown Raleigh daily.

Every day over 40% of free spaces will be filled with cars with handicap stickers. I can’t believe ther are that many truly handicapped people doing busieness downtown every day. ... I don’t mind paying for parking, either, but far too often the public parking lots are full.

So what's the story from all you downtown Raleigh folks who use handicapped placards to park for free on the street all day?

Some of you have genuine handicaps. Some of you don't. I'd like to hear your side.

Please call me at 919-829-4527 or email me.

Meanwhile, for what it's worth, I see there is a website dedicated to this issue.