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A tire track is a type of impression evidence. Impression evidence is created when two objects come into contact with such great force and friction it causes one to leave an impression on the other. An impression, such as a tire track, can aid investigators in linking a tool to a specific crime. Impression evidence is crucial because it can tell investigators about environmental and weather damage and time. In addition it can help tell the direction someone traveled in, whether or not the criminal was on foot or in a vehicle, and if they had an accomplice. Most commonly tire tracks are a visible print and can be seen by the naked eye.
When tracks are collected they are typically taken to a laboratory and examined by professional examiners. In the best case scenario the tire of the suspect would be sent to the laboratory as well for side-by-side comparison. During this process an examiner uses tools such as dividers and calipers. They typically need special lighting and magnification to notice small accents and indentations. Typically with tire tracks a specialized analyst is called to measure and analyze tread design. They are familiar with length and width impressions and compare them to the scene print, or cast.
TIRE TRACKS
By: Keely Bushby