Tire Marks & Their Role in Accident-Reconstruction Investigations
Tire marks are probably the most often confused and misinterpreted of all roadway evidence. A tire mark is the general class of marks left by a tire, whether rolling or locked. A tire skid mark is left by a locked, sliding tire.
There are different types of tire marks associated with a traffic accident investigation. Here, we describe tire marks, how to identify them, and their implications for an investigation.
Types of Tire Marks
Scuffs
Made by a rotating or yawing vehicle, a vehicle acceleration, or a flat tire.
Yaw mark
Made by a tire that is rotating and sliding sideways parallel to that wheel’s axle; also referred to as sideslip or critical-speed scuff marks.
Skids
Made by a locked wheel caused by the application of the brake.
Prints
Made by a rolling tire.
Scrub mark
Left by a wheel locked due to damage.
How to identify tire skid marks:
Pavement grinding
Caused by material embedded in the tire grinding along the surface of the roadway (can be hard to see).
Tire grinding
Caused by the tire itself being ground by the abnormalities of the road surface (can also be hard to see).
Erasure
Caused by a sliding …read more
Source:: Private Invest
