‘Especially at Night:’ Friend of Morgue Worker Reveals No. 1 Thing You Should Never Do at a Red Light—Even Though It’s Legal

"I tell my little brother this all the time."

Photo by: Unsplash.com

Alexandra Samuels

By: Alexandra Samuels

Aug 6, 2025 at 9:00am ET

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A woman went viral on TikTok after sharing her friend’s life-saving tip for driving at night.

Andrea (@ann_19833) said she got the advice from a friend who works in a morgue. The tip sounds simple, but goes against what most of us were taught behind the wheel: Don’t hit the gas the second the light turns green.

In her video, which has racked up over 1.4 million views, Andrea urged viewers to take the advice seriously—and said she’s already passed it on to her family.

“If you’re the first car at a red light, wait a few seconds before you go when it turns green,” she said. “That five seconds might save my life.”

Why Did Her Friend Share This Tip?

Andrea laid it out plainly: “When you’re driving and you get to the red light, you stop… And as soon as the red light turns green, you go,” she said. “Don’t do that.”

Instead, she told viewers to count to four or five seconds before moving forward, “especially at night.”

Why? Because someone else might be trying to beat the tail end of their red light. That’s when deadly T-bone crashes happen—not from small fender-benders, but full-on impacts from someone flying through an intersection.

She said her morgue-working friend has seen it again and again. “This is very serious,” Andrea said. “You could be doing everything right, but that doesn’t mean the other driver is.”

Is This Legit?

Andrea’s not alone in pushing this advice. In the r/vegaslocals subreddit, one driver shared a photo of a crash along with this caption: “I was next to the guy in the El Camino that got T-boned by the guy in the Hyundai who ran the red light by about two seconds.... I just kind of watched him drive off to get a better look at the car when the other guy came flying through the red light. Be careful out there and try to watch for these people.”

Viewers in Andrea’s comments section echoed that warning.

“It’s great advice with how it is here and the many times this has happened because of red light runners,” one person wrote.

Indeed, waiting a few seconds after the light turns green isn’t just about caution—it’s about staying alive. In that brief pause, you give yourself time to scan the intersection for red-light runners barreling through at the last second. These aren’t rare cases; many serious crashes happen because someone tried to beat the light by a second or two.

That extra moment can also help you spot other hazards, like a distracted driver who isn’t slowing down, or a pedestrian who’s still in the crosswalk. Even though your light is green, it doesn’t always mean the intersection is safe. Pausing gives your brain a chance to assess your surroundings and avoid jumping into danger.

It’s easy to assume that if you’re following the rules, everything will go fine. But Andrea’s point—and her friend’s experience working in a morgue—drives home a hard truth: Your safety also depends on whether someone else makes a reckless decision. And if they do, that five-second delay might be the only thing standing between you and disaster.

Viewers Echo Woman’s Warning

Plenty of viewers said they already follow Andrea’s advice because they’ve seen firsthand how reckless other drivers can be. Even with impatient drivers honking behind them, they’d rather be safe than sorry.

“I did that… waited a few seconds… the guy behind me started honking like crazy and then veered around me, gave me the finger, and then got liquified by a truck trying to beat the light,” one woman wrote. “I think about that SO OFTEN!!”

“I don’t give a [expletive] if the one behind me keeps honking,” another viewer added. “Imma take my time, honey.”

A former EMT chimed in too: “Not only do I wait, I look both ways to make sure nothing is coming and vehicles have stopped.”

Several commenters said they’ve passed this advice on to loved ones, especially because red-light runners are so common. “I tell my little brother this all the time,” one wrote. “It’s shocking how often people try to beat the red light.”

“Remember, green light means it’s just legal to go, not necessarily safe to go!!” another added.

What do you think?

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One woman said her sister used to take off the second the light turned green—until she watched a cyclist do the same and get hit. “After this, she always waits a bit. Be careful, everyone,” they wrote.

Motor1 has reached out to Andrea via TikTok direct message.