In a lofty video essay for Cheddar, producer Patrick Jones explains why the cabin lights are turned out both during the takeoff and landing of a plane. It comes down to a simple, logical safety reason – the need to allow passengers’ eyes to adjust to the darkness in case of an emergency, which is more likely to occur at the beginning 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
