Forensic scientists from the University of Central Florida are developing a method that would allow them to identify chemical signatures in tire skid marks at crime scenes.

To create chemical profiles for tire marks left behind at multi-car accident or hit and run crime scenes, for instance, the forensic scientists propose using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), wherein a laser is focused on a tire skid mark sample, which produces a light-emitting microscopic plasma based on the presence of corresponding chemical elements.

Source: University of Central Florida

According to the scientists, spectroscopy is applied to analyze the light emitted from the microscopic plasma and match it to corresponding chemicals, resulting in the tire’s chemical signature. In the future, this chemical signature could be linked to a specific tire and thus a specific vehicle.

Current methods for evidence collection at crime scenes involves law enforcement taking impressions of skid marks left behind by tires potentially involved in the crime. However, impression patterns do not offer enough information for identifying specific vehicles, which is what a tire’s chemical signature potentially promises.

The team suggests that the method could potentially be used as a complement to other law enforcement tools at crime scenes and intends to continue developing the technique. Specifically, the forensic scientists are exploring how elements like oil or rainwater might alter the chemical signature of tire skid marks.

The research appears in the journal Applied Spectroscopy.