Lesson 3 Page 3
Discover: Tire Track Challenge
When people travel in vehicles to or from a crime scene, these vehicles also leave impression evidence called tire tracks. Tire tracks can be left by anything that has a tread pattern, including cars, bicycles, and even wheel barrows.
The tread patterns are the three dimensional markings on the bottom of a tire. These patterns are often unique enough to allow investigators to match tire tracks to their source—possibly even the suspect vehicle.
Tire treads can provide information about
- the type of vehicle that was at the scene
- make or model of the vehicle
- where the vehicle has been
Notebook: Can you identify a vehicle from its tire tracks?
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Career Connection
Forensic investigators use much more than simple photographs to find matches for tire tread patterns and shoe prints. Investigators scan their photos into a powerful computer that uses advanced photo editing and analysis software. These computers are able to re-construct or even enhance a partial imprint. These computers are used also to perform searches of special databases of known shoe prints and tire treads.
Look at some of the software and databases available for matching shoe prints.