Extreme Tire Wear: A Useful Tool in Association and Reconstruction
Tom Adair
See also the instructional videos on "Footwear, Tire Track and Other Impressions"
Abstract:
In April of 2008 a tire examination case was presented to the author in which the docu- mented impression evidence showed evidence of extreme tire wear in the crime scene impressions. The suspect vehicle, which was recovered shortly after the crime, also exhibited corresponding wear on the tires in the same mounted positions. The degree of wear was such that the author was able to establish a greater degree of association between the impressions and the set of tires from the vehicle than he could otherwise expect from a single tire alone. The term “extreme tire wear” is introduced. The author also discusses the need to draw conclusions regarding the set of tires, as opposed to individual examinations, when the possibility presents itself.
Introduction
At best, tire evidence is an under-utilized resource in criminal investigations. Much of this has to do with the fact that a majority of major crimes occur in large metropolitan areas replete with roadways, and thus, tire evidence is not routinely found. A second reason is the minimal training available in tire examination which is inextricably linked to the former. However, every crime scene has the potential to hold valuable tire evidence in either two or three dimensional form. When tire impression evidence is found in urban areas, usually one or two tires are represented at most. This may limit the value of such evidence to investigators. Occasionally, however, investigators might discover probative elements of track impression evidence that can significantly diminish the population of possible contributors as well as aid in the reconstruction of certain events during the crime. Furthermore, examiners are encouraged to consider the cumulative weight of the track evidence in making associations to known tire sets rather than limit their analysis only to individual tracks independent of the others. I introduce the term extreme wear to define those tires with a tread depth of less than 1/32”
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