What causes gouge marks on the roadway?

Gouge marks on the roadway are primarily caused by physical damage when a part of the vehicle, such as the undercarriage or components like the tires, fenders, or chassis, strikes the road surface during a crash or collision. These gouges can indicate the point of impact or the nature of the crash dynamics. The characteristics of the gouge marks, including their depth, length, and location, provide valuable information to investigators regarding the vehicle's movement, speed, and angle of impact. This evidence can play a crucial role in reconstructing the events leading up to a traffic accident.

The other options relate to different types of roadway marks that don't involve the kind of direct impact that causes gouging. Tire slippage, for instance, can leave skid marks but does not result in gouging. Indents from parked vehicles or scorch marks from overheated engines refer to different forms of roadway alterations that do not correlate with the violent impact required to create gouge marks. Hence, the distinction lies in the nature of the damage: gouging implies a physical strike rather than a result of friction or extended pressure.