You have a caricature of Germany in your head if you believe people yell at you for crossing at red on an empty road.
People always rely on some governmental authority. When it affects them, that is. Otherwise, no one gives a shit about anything.
It is also custom here to voice one's opinion in extreme precision or detail. "Hinterfragen" question things, criticise, always down to the details. Not in an emotional way but very in a very matter-of-fact sense.
So think of it from the perspective of "if the rule is that you don't cross on red, then why are you crossing on red? It's against the rule". It's not personal at all.