I am sorry but I felt it was obvious I wasn't talking about parked cars.
As for the drivers worrying about unexpected cyclists getting in their path.. no, that has nothing to do with the colour of the light. Yes, it may be a concern, just like unexpected cars getting in their path might be a concern. And it has nothing to do with the colour of the light. So it pays to approach an intersection carefully. Because if you drive enough, you may eventually find out that some intersections don't even have lights to begin with, and a car or a cyclist might've misjudged your speed. Yes, even I could make such a mistake and misjudge someone. That's the risk we all take in traffic. Red doesn't mean unsafe. Green doesn't mean the path is clear. What do you do when the light blinks yellow or turns off? What do you do when the light turns green for you and also for the cyclist next to you?
I run reds, but I judge the safety of it just as I would if there were no lights, or as if I were crossing where there's no intersection. And yes I do account for the fact that drivers are not going by the standard yield rules in a light-controlled intersection. I'm not reckless.