The relationship of wheel slip ratio and road adhesion coefficient was analyzed with the application of the magic formula tire model. An approach for road identification based on wheel velocity and other vehicle dynamic parameters was developed. The road characteristics were determined by the comparison of the estimated road adhesion coefficient and the characteristics of the regular road surface conditions. In order to illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the approach, two simulations of straight line braking were conducted on split and tessellated road surfaces, respectively. The simulation results showed that the approach could identify road surface condition well.