Tires: Treads, slippery surfaces, lateral edges

Question
Me and a friend are doing a science fair project on the effects that different treads have on driving on slippery surfaces such as ice.  Can you help us?

Answer
Claire,

Perhaps I can help you, but finding the data to report on will be difficult.  Tire traction testing is an extremely unusual topic, of interest most to tire manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers, and is a complex task to control enough variables to make the data viable.

But first try looking through Tire Rack's web site.  Look for the section on "Tire Tech".

Next, my background says that the biggest factor for ice traction is lateral edges.  That can be accomplished using small tread elements and the use of sipes.

I'll be glad to help.  Just post back with additional questions.
But ice traction is a difficult and complex subject as temperature is extremely difficult to control and when you control it, such as on an ice rink, you don't have typical conditions.