I HATE intersections for that reason. Quite a few times I’ve waited a couple seconds after the light turns green and seen a car blast through the intersection’s red light. After waiting, my head is always on a constant swivel while going through the intersection.
Years ago I nearly got hit by a guy running a red light. I was at a 3 way intersection. The light was red. I was waiting to make a left turn. My sight of the left was obstructed by a huge bush. The light turned green. I didn’t immediately go forward. Something inside me said “wait”. So I waited a second or so. Then I began to inch forward into the intersection when a sports car ran the red light and went past me, missing me only by inches. Had I went forward only a split second earlier, he would have t-boned me.
Whenever I’m driving in a city now, I take a moment to look both ways after I get the green. People routinely run red lights well after the change these days.
Sometimes I’ve had to go through on red myself when there’s a tailgater behind me, if I’d have had to brake at all hard to stop for the light. Yes, the jerk behind me would be at fault, but I prefer not to get in a wreck anyway.
I do that all the time here in Reno. People are notorious for running red lights here.