How to Be a Reliable Eyewitness & Improve Your Testimony

Learn how to stay alert during an event and remember accurate details with these tips

Co-authored by Sandra Possing and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: February 20, 2023 References

Are you trying to remember how an event played out but having trouble jogging your memory about what actually happened? When you’re an eyewitness to an event or incident, there are a lot of things going on at once fighting for your attention. However, there are some important details you should focus on so you can give a more accurate testimony. Keep reading, and you’ll find everything you’ll need for recalling your memory so your eyewitness account is reliable.

Things You Should Know

Try to take in all the details from your surroundings. Make note of who’s nearby, what’s happening in the area, and where any disturbances came from.
Focus on distinguishable features, like someone’s height, weight, complexion, and scars. For a suspicious vehicle, note the make and model.
Write down or record everything about the event as soon as you can so you can remember all the details while they’re fresh in your mind.
Avoid watching the news or talking about what happened with other people since it could influence how you remember the event happening.

1

Take in the details from your surroundings.

You’ll recall memories better if you’re familiar with the area. Make a mental note of who’s around you, where they are, and what’s happening around you to increase your situational awareness. Get an idea of the area’s layout as well so you can accurately describe any important locations or events.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} If there are any loud noises, turn in their direction so you can get a better look at what’s happening.
- You can improve your situational awareness by meditating and practicing mindfulness. Pay attention to your surroundings and notice how they make you feel.
- If you’re in the middle of a dangerous situation, get to somewhere safe first. Your safety is more important than trying to witness all the details.
- Take a moment to get a good look at the people around you since remembering them can help you recall a suspect better.^{[2]
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- Avoid looking for details you’d “expect” during an incident, such as a white van or a weapon in someone’s hand, since it could make you misremember what actually happened. Really pay attention to the events as they go on rather than assuming you know what to look for.

2

Focus on a suspect’s unique characteristics.

Height, weight, and complexion are all distinguishing features. Instead of focusing on the victim at the scene of a crime, pay more attention to the perpetrator and what they look like. Describe the person by their permanent features, such as their height, weight, complexion, or scars they have. If they had any other characteristics that made them stand out, be sure to mention them.^{[3]
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- If you safely can get a good look at the person, focus on their whole face rather than single features. That way, you’ll be able to recall their appearance better.
- Try to think of someone with a similar appearance to the person that you can compare them to so you're able to job your memory better.
- While it’s still helpful to know the suspect’s hairstyle, hair color, and clothes, someone could easily change them and make your eyewitness testimony less accurate.

3

Note the make and model of suspicious vehicles.

Knowing the make and model helps narrow down potential suspects. If you can safely get a glimpse of the vehicle a perpetrator is using, try to remember the basic information about it. Make note of the vehicle’s color, damage, and license plate numbers as well. The suspect could take the vehicle in to get fixed or change vehicles, but the info will still give law enforcement a lead to work with.^{[4]
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4

Record what happened as soon as possible.

Writing the memory down while it’s fresh helps you remember it clearly. As soon as it’s safe for you to do so, try to write down everything that occurred in order. If you don’t have a pen and paper, use a notes app on your phone or even record your voice. State all the details clearly and only mention the things that you actually witnessed. Include a time and date for your record so you can easily reference it later on.^{[5]
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- If you’re on the scene, pull out your phone and record video or take pictures of events as they happen if you’re safely able to
- Your memory will start to change and get influenced by other events the longer you wait to record what happened. Studies have shown if you immediately recall the events, you’ll be able to remember the events more clearly later on.^{[6]
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5

Avoid making assumptions to fill in missing details.

Only mention what you’ve observed so you don’t give false information. As you’re trying to remember what happened, your brain may try to fill in gaps with things that didn’t actually happen. Rather than guessing or making up a detail, skip over the point and focus on what you know. Question any biases or expectations you have so you can think clearly about the events that took place.^{[7]
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- If you’re asked about a detail you can’t remember during an eyewitness testimony, just be honest and say that you’re not sure about what happened.
- When you’re stressed and scared, it can make you misremember details of what actually happened. Be sure to really think and question what you experienced so you give accurate information.^{[8]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Association for Psychological Science
  Nonprofit organization devoted promoting trustworthy research and education in the psychological sciences
  Go to source}

6

Stay away from the news and other witness accounts.

Hearing other people could influence how you remember the event. When you hear the news or another witness recount the event, they may remember details a little differently than you. If someone else tells you conflicting details, you might start questioning what you actually saw and it may make your testimony sound less reliable. Trust what you saw, and avoid discussing or looking deeper into the event with anyone else.^{[9]
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- Take a break from the news and fill your time with other activities to fill your time.
- Be mindful of anyone asking leading questions that could influence your memory. For example, “Was the car red?” is a leading question but “What color was the car?” is not.

7

Recall the events before testifying.

Refresh your memory so you can give more accurate answers. If you’re asked to give an eyewitness testimony, try to picture the scene of the event in your head. Read or listen to any notes you took when the event first happened so you can get a clear idea of what happened and feel confident in how you remember it.^{[10]
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Trustworthy Source
United States Department of Justice
Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice
Go to source}
- When you’re testifying, only give information that you personally observed or know about. Don’t come to any conclusions about the event; just state the facts instead.

Warnings

Avoid giving any opinions or irrelevant information in an eyewitness account since someone reading it just wants to know the facts.^{[15]
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