I am always trying to drill it into my kids heads that you need to check if it is safe to cross regardless of the green man being lit. Ive posted it on here before, the chances are that if they are ever knocked down it will be crossing at a green light and being hit by an elderly driver doing 30kph in a small car! I see it so often where I live as there is an aged community, it only happened about 2 months back again to myself and the dog almost got it, an aul fella just drove straight through the lights after we had waited and started crossing, oblivious to the fact that he had. 2 girls got knocked down at the entrance to our estate about 8 months ago by an elderly driver who somehow veered off the road and hit them standing at the lights, waiting for the green man. The light post itself saved them from far worse than broken bones.
This is the thing about people excusing mistakes etc. When one of those older drivers does mush a child people will be telling us all about no one intending or meaning to kill anyone, but there are numerous families here who know that their father/mother is no longer fit for driving yet they have them on the roads.. and you'll hear the conversations about how great they are driving at 90. Maybe some are, but lots are not
I check myself before I start cycling when the green light comes on - its not to check if someone ois going to break the light, its to see how many will. The average is 2 but you'll often get a third car barrelling through.. they are the same dickheads that will be insisting they never 'meant' to kill anyone.. well you did, it just happens to be that you got away with it a load of times before