Can normal outdoor activities be carried out during civil twilight?

Ambient illumination during civil twilight, which occurs approximately a half hour before sunrise and after sunset, has traditionally been characterized as posing no restriction on normal visual activities. However, consideration of the selective degradation of visual-recognition functions and the concurrent sparing of visual-guidance functions at the prevailing (relevant) luminance levels suggests that this characterization of civil twilight is no longer appropriate, particularly in light of the visual demands of industrialized society. Rather, special notice should be taken of the implications of selective degradation of visual recognition during civil twilight for traffic safety and other visually demanding hazardous tasks.