Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers love to wave this one around like it proves a crash victim lost control and caused the wreck. If they can point to curved tire marks on the road, they may argue the driver was speeding, overcorrecting, or driving recklessly. That is often an oversell. Yaw marks are tire marks left when a vehicle is moving forward but also sliding sideways at the same time, usually while rotating or turning hard. Unlike straight skid marks, yaw marks are typically curved and show that the tires were still rolling while the vehicle was slipping laterally.

That difference matters because yaw marks can help accident reconstruction experts estimate speed, steering input, point of loss of control, and where a crash sequence really started. But they do not automatically prove careless driving. A blown tire, a sudden evasive maneuver, ice, gravel, or a crosswind hitting a high-profile vehicle can all produce yaw marks. On North Dakota's open highways, strong winds and semis are a real factor, not a footnote.

In an injury claim, yaw marks can shift the fight over comparative fault. North Dakota follows modified comparative fault under N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02: if an injured person is 50% or more at fault, recovery is barred. So if the defense uses yaw marks to inflate your share of blame, that can wipe out compensation entirely.