Running a red light in Westchester could soon put a dent in more than your car.

Red-light photo enforcement cameras at two of the busiest intersections are set to go live by the end of the month. Violators will face $100 fines for running red lights at the intersections of Mannheim and Cermak roads and Mannheim and Roosevelt roads.

Police Chief Matt Evans said the cameras could help reduce crashes at the increasingly congested intersections.

“I believe it’s going to take some getting used to, but in the long haul, it’s a much more efficient way,”  Evans said. “We can’t be everywhere. We need as many tools as we can to keep people honest out there.”

Village officials approved the contract with Lombard-based RedSpeed this summer, Evans said. Cameras at Mannheim and Cermak roads have already been installed and will be tested in the next week.

Evans said he expects the cameras at Mannheim and Roosevelt to be installed and tested before the holidays.

The cameras will debut with a two-week warning period, when violators receive warnings but will not be required to pay a fine. After that, fines will be issued to motorists who cross the intersection after a light has turned red or if they fail to make a complete stop when turning right on a red light.

Once a vehicle crosses the intersection, the cameras will record between 8 and 10 seconds of digital video, which violators can review if they wish to contest the ticket. The video, along with three pictures of the violation, will be reviewed by the Police Department before a citation is issued.

The pictures include one of the vehicle crossing the intersection, one of the vehicle passing through the intersection and a close-up the license plate. The photos do not include images of the driver, which is illegal under Illinois law.

Trustee Neil Boyle said Westchester is conducting an educational campaign to increase awareness of the cameras.

“I don’t suspect that anyone who gets any type of ticket is happy with that process at all,” Boyle said. “I actually got one in the city of Chicago. I know I was not happy about it, but I tell you, I make sure I drive a little slower in the city of Chicago.”

Evans said the intersections were picked because of their high rates of traffic and accidents. More than 116,000 vehicles pass through the Mannheim and Cermak intersection each day, resulting in an average of one crash every 11.5 days. Mannheim and Roosevelt has one accident every 16 days with about 131,000 vehicles each day.  

Red-light cameras have become an increasingly common form of traffic control, and public concern over privacy issues has waned since communities began using them. The goal of the cameras is accident reduction, Boyle said, not revenue boosting or surveillance.

Signs warning motorists of the cameras have already been installed at each intersection, Boyle said.

“This is not a covert thing. We want people to slow down and drive safely,” Boyle said. “We’re not trying to play ‘gotcha.’ We’re trying to actually change driving habits.”