Why searchlights could still be used at Matapan

Why did British ships turn on searchlights at Matapan despite the danger?

The lights exposed the British ship, but they also blinded the opposing crews and marked the target for rapid fire.

Earlier in the video, searchlights are presented as dangerous because they advertised a ship to torpedo attack. At Cape Matapan, the British had already closed to a decisive position and needed immediate target identification. Illumination could blind the opposing crews while marking their ship for rapid fire. The Royal Navy treated searchlights as a calculated tool for a particular moment rather than as universally obsolete or safe.