"A law is only as good as the good that comes from it." - true? false? discuss!

I’m looking for a practical reason to obey human laws at times when such adherence would only be useful for avoiding a Fine. Some time ago, there was a discussion similar to this but I don’t know how to find it anymore and I’d like to have this all worked out in my head. :)

Traffic example: If you’re at a red light and there are no other cars on the road, why shouldn’t you drive on through it? Upfront, I’ll just say “Because it’s illegal” is an ignorant answer unless you can clearly demonstrate the usefulness of following laws in times when they aren’t useful. If you wish to state “Laws are always useful” then you’re going to have to qualify that as well, especially considering the scenario given:

Let’s assume that driving through the red light would be truly safe, as you can clearly see that there is no danger in proceeding. An accident wouldn’t occur and you would make it home safely without harming anyone.
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“A law is only as good as the good that comes from it.” – Is this statement a truism?