What should you do if you are driving and the traffic light turns red?

When a traffic light turns red, the correct action is to stop immediately. This is crucial for maintaining safety on the road. A red light indicates that all traffic must come to a complete stop, allowing pedestrians to cross and ensuring that vehicles coming from other directions can safely proceed.

Stopping immediately adheres to the traffic laws designed to manage roadway interactions, preventing accidents and maintaining the orderly flow of traffic. Any deviation from this action—such as speeding up to clear the intersection or proceeding with caution—could lead to dangerous situations, including collisions, as other vehicles and pedestrians will be relying on the signal's meaning to navigate safely. Feathering the brakes to prepare to stop can be a part of the stopping process, but it does not negate the necessity of coming to a complete stop when the light changes to red.