Traffic lights

When did the law change that people can go over traffic lights on red? Red does still mean stop doesn't it? You know the drivers I mean, you wait in line to turn across the traffic but have to wait till the oncoming traffic obeys the red light and stops - except no - apparantly you can ignore the red signal and come across leaving the cars waiting patiently to turn stranded in the centre of the junction.
The other day I counted five cars crossing on red - why? Surely they all can't be rushing a pregnant woman about to give birth to the hospital or transporting a kidney that must reach the transplant patient within a fixed time. Where are they all going that they absolutely can't obey a traffic signal? Answers on a postcard please - or the comments.