If I see so many ‘hot rod’ tire marks along my road, does that mean those drivers are rapidly shrinking their tires?

Question

I hear the ‘fun’ squealing and imagine the short lives of their tires. But is this true? If so, why not?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Spinning the tires in order to break traction and leave tire marks behind DOES wear out the tread on those tires much faster than normal usage. The wear will be generally even across the full surface, as opposed to when one skids to a stop under severe braking (absent anti-lock brakes).