Why Airplane Cabin Lights Are Turned Off During Takeoff and Landing

In a new video essay for Cheddar, Patrick Jones reveals why the cabin lights are turned out during the takeoff and landing of a plane. It comes down to a very simple, logical safety reason – the need to enable passengers’ eyes to adapt to the darkness in case of an emergency, which is more likely to happen at the start and end of the flight.

The lights inside the cabin are turned off because of the time it takes for eyes to adjust to the dark. If an emergency during takeoff or landing caused the lights to suddenly go out no one’s eyes would be adjusted making it harder to evacuate …There’s a good reason why the lights are turned off specifically at takeoff and landing. That’s when most plane accidents occur