Yaw marks at a crash scene are most likely produced when a vehicle...

• A. turns without skidding
• B. slides sideways during a turn
• C. drives straight ahead
• D. stops before turning

Answer: (B)

Yaw marks show the vehicle rotating about its vertical axis while the tires are slipping. They appear when a driver loses directional control during a turn and the tires drag sideways across the pavement as the car continues to move forward. That sideways sliding during a turn creates curved skid marks as the vehicle yaws, leaving distinctive arced traces rather than straight lines. If a vehicle were turning without skidding, you’d see marks that show the path of rolling tires without sideways slip; driving straight ahead would produce linear skid marks or none at all if the tires aren’t skidding; stopping before turning would mainly yield braking marks or little to no tire marks, not yaw marks.