TIRE TRACKS

Track vs. Tread Tire Track: path left in the soil by the wheels of a vehicle Tire Tread: pattern of tread design on tire

Tracks Tracks can be used to indicate: – Direction of travel – Change in direction – Tread wear pattern

Direction and Change of Travel and moved toward point 2 This vehicle began at point 1 The vehicle stopped and backed up to point 3 The vehicle stopped at point 3 and then moved forward to point 4

Tire Tread Patterns Records are kept of different tire tread patterns so that tires can be traced to different sizes of tires and often different makes and models of vehicles

Preserving Tracks Photograph the track first!! If a cast cannot be made, photographs will be very important Make sure to use a scale that will show in the photographs Dental stone is used to make a cast If a track is in snow, a special wax is used to make the track hard enough to cast

Measuring Tracks Tracks must be measured Tire Track Width: distance in inches between the middle of the two front tires or the two back tires Tire track width is used to identify the type of vehicle

Measuring Tracks Tread width: distance in inches across the tread pattern Tread widths should be measured on both the front and back tires since some vehicles may use different tires