People have been making right turns on red lights since the gas shortages of the 1970s. It may have saved fuel, but some safety experts say it's also led to far too many accidents involving pedestrians.

Sana Walker lives just a few steps away from one of the busiest intersections in Halifax.

Locals, she says, call Main and Titus "the death corner" because of all the accidents.

"I've been hit twice," said Walker. "I actually jumped on a lady's car to get out of her way."

Crosswalk safety advocates say the spot is a prime example of a fundamental flaw in the current rules of the road: drivers being able to turn right on a red light.

"We have left turn on a green, we have right turn on a green, and we also have right turn on a red -- and it's very hard to keep track of," said Martyn Williams.

There are already a number of intersections where the practice is banned, but a motion before the city's transportation committee may open the door to an all-out ban.

But this may not sit well with some drivers, who have long complained traffic is already unbearable.

One Halifax councillor says change wouldn't be necessary if everyone simply followed the rules.

"There's a certain courier company, they never stop at a red light, and they save a fortune in time and in money," said Halifax Regional Coun. Matt Whitman.

The councillor introducing the 'motion-to-study' says the purpose of looking at this is safety.

"We want to have eventually, zero fatalities on our roads," said Halifax Regional Coun. Shawn Cleary.

Cleary says fixing congestion may be as simple as changing traffic light cycles.

"There's all kinds of ways you can look at that, whether you can look at holding a phase only for vehicles - no pedestrians cross at that time - and then holding a phase for pedestrians only," said Cleary.

In the end, it could mean some relief for Walker, for whom even a coffee run is a stressful adventure.

"You pretty much run for your life with the amount of traffic flow that goes through here every day," Walker said.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Bruce Frisko.