Can I drive through a red light if no cars are coming?

No, you can't do that. Red means red, regardless of whether there are cars coming or not. Traffic lights don't just prevent you from colliding with other vehicles - they keep traffic flowing in general. If everyone drove through red lights whenever the road looked clear, it'd be chaos and dangerous.

Plus, you can never really be sure nothing's coming. Vehicles approach faster than you think, and especially around curves or from the sides, you don't always see everything. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles - they might not see you if you suddenly drive through.

And practically speaking: if you get caught, it'll cost you. A fine, possibly points on your license. So better to just wait a few seconds for the light to turn green - those seconds aren't worth it.

The traffic light is there to coordinate all traffic - not just so you don't get hit from the side. Even if you don't see any cars right now, pedestrians or cyclists might be counting on their green light and already be moving, which you could easily miss. I once almost crashed into a cyclist at an intersection because they came on their green and I thought the road was clear - ever since then I respect every light, no matter how empty it looks.