Cyclists aim their lights up so that cars can see them. The lights on a bicycle exist more so the cyclist can be seen than for the cyclist to see.
The solution are properly beam-shaped lights like the Axendo series from Spanninga, but they are a tough sell even in countries where beam shaping is mandatory.
And ofc bike-red lights dont look anything like car red lights, so the association doesnt really matter outside of teaching, and presumably quickly picked up even on first-time encounter on the road