Which visual ability is less effective during night driving?

Color vision is less effective during night driving due to the way our eyes adapt to lower light conditions. At night, the rod cells in our eyes, which are responsible for vision in dim lighting, become more active while cone cells, which detect color, become less effective. This results in a diminished ability to distinguish colors in low light.

During nighttime or in poorly lit conditions, peripheral or fringe vision may still function better since it relies on rod cells that help detect motion and shapes rather than specific colors. Central vision also plays a key role in identifying objects and details directly in front of you, although it is also affected to some extent at night. Monocular vision, which is the ability to see with one eye, does not have the same limitations as color vision in low-light conditions, as it still allows for depth perception and distance estimation.

Understanding this characteristic of night vision can help drivers take extra precautions, such as using high-contrast settings for their vehicle's instruments and being cautious of their color recognition abilities when interpreting traffic signals and signs during night driving.