Tire Failures and Evidence Manual: For Traffic Accident Investigation

At-scene traffic accident investigators and reconstructionists have a responsibility to determine whether or not a tire contributed to a vehicle accident. This manual will prepare investigators and analysts to meet the high standard of performance and expertise expected of them in these investigations. The text covers a wide variety of tire failure investigation topics, including the manufacturing, markings and identification, tire and wheel nomenclatures, tire load and speed ratings, tire-roadway behavior, at-scene investigations, and evidence recognition, collection, and interpretation. Each chapter and a comprehensive appendix provides clear definitions of and statements about the topics the manual contains, with graduated commentary and copious diagrams and photographs arranged so as to present a natural development and understanding of the subject matter. The manual also addresses the importance of an at-scene investigator knowing his or her limitations in making tire failure determinations and knowing when a case should be turned over to an expert for laboratory analysis. This unique text is designed not only for use as a handy reference manual, but also to be of assistance as a training document for use in police training schools that teach tire failure examinations as part of their curriculum or as a special topic in field training programs.