When, where, and how they are made provide important clues to the analysis of an accident. Reconstructionists classify tiremarks by the manner in which they are made. A tire can also leave a mark if it is slipping perpendicular to the direction of travel. Additionally, tires may leave marks if something unusual is occurring to create a wobbling of the tire tread. This can occur with a flat tire or a suspension problem.
Tires leave marks as a result of movement during a collision.
The nature of the tire mark can provide useful information about an accident. A skidmark with bold outside edges is an indication of an overloaded tire. This occurs on the front tires because of the weight shift during hard braking. Skidding rear tires would more likely exhibit a bold center, a characteristic of an underloaded tire. Similarly, a vehicle which is simultaneously braked and turned will skid the inside tires first.