Here's the way I approach my risk management. I start removing from the equation things that don't apply to me. A large number of those deaths and injuries involve wrong way riders and intoxicated riders. By not engaging in those activities I cut my chances of becoming a stat in half.

Then by practicing the risk mitigation strategies recommended here:

http://bicyclesafe.com/

I further reduce my chances of death or injury. Beyond that I avoid certain roads, avoid heavy traffic and use dedicated bicycling infrastructure. Ultimately I end up engaged in an activity that is comparatively safe. I may get taken out next weekend, but if I do, I'll go doing what I love.

A good basic guide for safe riding in traffic. Dealing with various intersections is worth another one like that.

I don't often filter on a left turn but sometimes when it's a protected left, all of the traffic is stopped making it easy to get there, and they're stacked up to turn left, there doesn't seem to be any reason not to.

Usually I find myself just getting in line with the cars, or if there's still traffic behind me, a two-stage left (straight across in the bike lane or through lane, stop, go at the light with the cross traffic)

Even going straight across - not a left turn - it might be easy to just trust that car on your left to not roll out in front of a speeding red light runner, if we're right beside him. I'm usually in front so it's not an issue, but I'm for sure going to double-check these drivers now.

As I have said here like a million times:

Look both ways before you cross the street AND if you can't see...you can't go!

Glad you dodged that bullet! Lessons learned without losing any skin are the best kinds.
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Especially when they are shared with others so that they can learn too. I have been known to "use a blocker" like the op did. In slow traffic, it'll work. In his situation, not so much.

You almost always run the red when you can, so that there are no autos in the intersection when you cross. There is a point to that, but you couldn't do it here on the streets I take. It's too far across, cars move too fast, and any gaps at all are few and far between. I'll sometimes "jump" the red when it's clear, but mostly we have to develop different strategies.

Yeh, that's what makes it insidious. Traffic is stopped, protected left, you think that it's slow traffic. But it's really not, not always. Just don't let anything get to feeling routine.

There are intersections in NOLA I have to stop for the red every time. As I have also preached around here, the color of the light means nothing, as you also know - a green can be more dangerous than a red. I know what the crossing traffic is going to do when I have a red. When I have a green, I really have no clue what crossing traffic will do. So LOOKING every time is imperative.

I don't EXACTLY stop for red lights. I stop when the crossing traffic is too thick to cross, and sometimes can't get a break until they get a red light. It's the circumstances that make me stop, not the light color, although, sometimes it does APPEAR as if I am stopping at a red light like a good boy. I am not suicidal.
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Don't be so modest. You are just that ****ing awesome.