Rice is one of the largest agriculture crops and generates around 22% of rice rusk during its milling process. This material is mainly used as fuel for energy generation, resulting an ash which disposal represents an environmental issue. The rice husk ash (RHA) contains over than 70% of silica in an amorphous form and a lot of applications is being developed for it all over the world. The use of silica as a filler in the tire industry is growing since it contributes significantly to the reduction of fuel consumption of the automobiles, allowing at the same time better traction (safety). This paper presents an evaluation of the use of RHA as filler in rubber tread compounds prepared in lab scale and compares its performance with compounds prepared with commercial silica and carbon black, the filler normally used in tire industry. Mechanical and rheological properties are evaluated, with emphasis for tan delta as an indicator of thread performance related with rolling resistance (fuel consumption) and wet grip/traction (safety).