REVIEW OF FORENSIC METHODS FOR COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF TYRE AND FOOTPRINT IMPRESSIONS AT EVENT SCENES

Abstract

Tyre and footprint evidence linking vehicles, persons and event scenes can be important, but their significance relies on systematic recovery and interpretation. The present review gathered research on tyre and footprint evidence collection, recovery, analysis using a structured search of literature and systematic comparison of information on methods and outcome measures. The review addressed the need for systematic recovery, analysis accuracy and evidential reliability. Findings indicated photography, measurement, casting and Structure from Motion allow feature preservation, and digital applications contribute to feature recognition and classification. Limitations exist in impression quality, examiner judgement, and error and random match rates. The review identified methods ideally suited to integrated, validated applications and recommends standardised recovery, better validation, and expansion into relevant African research.