Sure, but we're pretty far from Germany over here.

In the States (or at least, every US state that I'm familiar with -- each one is free to make their own traffic rules, similar to how each EU member state also has their own regulatory freedoms), a dark/disabled/non-working traffic light is to be treated as stop sign.

For all drivers, in all directions of travel: It functionally becomes a stop sign.

That doesn't mean that it is the best way, nor does it mean that it is the worst way. It simply is the way that it is.

How does "you can only piss with the cock you've got" translate to German slang?