A formal safety inquiry into a minor incident at a distribution warehouse has demonstrated how easily eyewitness memory can be altered by leading questions.
Several warehouse staff members who witnessed a forklift truck colliding with a storage rack were interviewed by safety officers the next day. Multiple witnesses claimed that the forklift was moving at an excessive speed and estimated its speed to be around 15 mph, with some asserting they saw sparks fly and several heavy wooden crates crash to the ground.
However, digital logs and high-definition security footage from the warehouse floor painted a very different picture. The forklift was traveling at a safe speed of less than 2 mph and merely tapped the foot of the shelving unit while maneuvering. No crates fell, and no sparks occurred. The safety inspector's interview records revealed that witnesses had been asked leading questions containing highly suggestive verbs, such as "How fast was the forklift traveling when it rammed into the rack?" and "Did you see the sparks fly when the metal frame buckled?"
Briefly outline one of the experiments from the core study into eyewitness testimony by Loftus and Palmer and explain how it could relate to the warehouse incident.
