No, it is generally not safe to text at a red light. A driver should always have their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.
That said, there are drivers who will pick up their phones when they are stopped in traffic. They often think that they are doing so safely. They do not want to text and drive while the car is moving, so they wait until they are stopped and then look at their notifications or check incoming text messages.
When does the distraction really end?
What these drivers need to remember is that the cognitive distraction of using a cellphone does not end immediately. It can actually last for up to 27 more seconds.
In other words, a driver may set their phone down when they see that the light has turned green. They start driving forward, with their eyes back on the road and their hands on the steering wheel. They think that they are no longer distracted, but the reality is that they have not yet cognitively refocused on driving their vehicle. This mental distraction can persist even as they drive through the intersection, and it could increase the odds of a mistake that causes an accident.
For example, a driver may make an ill-advised left turn because they are not paying close enough attention to see that oncoming traffic is too close. They are simply not focused on the road, so they make an otherwise avoidable error.
Have you suffered injuries in a car accident?
Staying off your phone in the car can help prevent you from making these types of mistakes, but other drivers are still going to do so. If you have been injured in an accident that one of them caused, take the time to look into all of your options to seek financial compensation.