The ghost tire memorial was inspired by the Ghost Bike (also referred to as a Ghost Cycle or White Cycle), a bicycle roadside memorial placed where a cyclist had been killed or severely injured, usually by the driver of a motor vehicle. Apart from being a memorial, it is usually intended as a reminder to passing motorists to share the road. Ghost Bikes are usually junk bicycles painted white, sometimes with a placard attached, and locked to a suitable object close to the crash scene.

The idea for a ghost TIRE memorial sprang up when Streets Are For Everyone - a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike by reducing traffic-caused fatalities to zero - joined a coalition of nonprofits and Assemblymember Laura Friedman to introduce Assembly Bill (AB) 645. The bill would allow for a pilot program to install speed cameras, with a priority around schools and high-injury networks, to eliminate traffic-related deaths.

While working on advocacy around AB 645. SAFE’s Executive Director, Damian Kevitt, became acquainted with two families struggling with the devastation of losing a family member to reckless speeding. Wanting to make a difference and raise awareness of reckless speeding, SAFE worked with these families to advocate for passing AB 645 and, through that process, the idea of a memorial to commemorate and draw attention to the increasing amount of fatalities due to speeding was born. As Glendale Mayor Dan Brotman noted, “These [traffic fatalities] are real people. Husbands, wives, parents, friends, children, and coworkers.”