The major objective during the July 4th holiday is to have fun while celebrating our nation’s 240th birthday.

However, an overabundance of fun in the wrong way – as in consuming too much alcohol and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle or boat – can spoil this first major holiday of summer.

With that in mind, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) and the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) started its annual Booze It & Lose It – Operation Firecracker campaign last Friday and it will continue through next Monday, which runs in conjunction with the Fourth of July holiday.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and its partners are also holding its “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign this Independence Day weekend.

State and local law enforcement officers will aggressively seek out and arrest drunk drivers, removing them from North Carolina roadways so that citizens can safely celebrate the birth of our nation with friends, family, and our fellow Americans.

Starting Friday, NC Wildlife officers across the state will increase safety enforcement on the waterways, conduct sobriety checkpoints and help spread public awareness to deter impaired operation of vessels.

“We will be more vigilant and more visible on the water this weekend,” said local NC Wildlife Officer Tim Wadsworth.

First Sergeant M.W. Warren with the Ahoskie office of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said troopers and supervisors are going to out in full force this weekend in Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties.

“On the road, on the water, don’t drink and drive. We’re going to have traffic checks, have saturation efforts, and are going to working with sheriff offices, town police, ALE, and the NC Wildlife Commission,” stated Warren. “Our goal is highway safety. We want safe highways and safe waterways.

“We’re going to try to ensure we don’t have any fatal collisions this Independence Day weekend,” Warren added.

He reminded all motorists to buckle up, put down the telephones and other distractions, and, of course, don’t drink or use drugs and attempt to operate a motor vehicle.

Warren said, “Don’t make a bad decision. We want everyone to have a good time and be safe. If you choose to consume alcohol, do the right thing and plan ahead by choosing a sober designated driver.”

Troopers and other law enforcement agencies, Warren said, will be looking for aggressive drivers, distracted drivers, and impaired drivers.

“We’ll be out there,” he said.

The annual multi-agency initiative works to ensure everyone can travel safely on the road and on the water during summer holidays. In North Carolina, a driver or boat operator with a blood-alcohol concentration that meets or exceeds .08 is subject to arrest.

“Designating a driver is always a good idea whether you’re operating a car or a vessel,” said Lt. Sam Craft with the Wildlife Commission. “Just like a vehicle, you can be charged with operating a boat while impaired. The penalties include a maximum $1,000 fine and possible jail time, so it pays to be safe.”

The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign is coordinated by the Wildlife Commission, State Highway Patrol and Forensic Tests for Alcohol, and supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard and local police and sheriff’s offices, along with participating non-governmental organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Boating at night typically increases during the Independence Day weekend, which requires boaters to use caution and to be on high alert due to reduced visibility. Inland lighting rules are in effect and water skiing is prohibited between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. Personal watercraft are prohibited on state waters between sunset and sunrise.

“The safety of our citizens is my top priority, especially during the holidays,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “There will be an increase in law enforcement officers on our roadways, including nine DWI Task Force teams, day and night, to catch drivers who break the law, so plan ahead to get home safely.”

In its 22nd year, the Booze It & Lose It education and enforcement campaign has created increased awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as the penalties associated with driving while impaired.

Even with its success, 9,411 people have lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina since the program’s introduction.

The number of fatalities involving drunk drivers increased from 384 in 2014 to 418 in 2015.

The Booze It & Lose It campaign’s mission to keep citizens safe on roadways aligns closely with Governor McCrory’s NC Vision Zero project, an initiative which aims to eliminate traffic related injuries and fatalities in North Carolina.

The governor’s goal is to reach zero traffic-related fatalities through coordinated efforts, including those of law enforcement, to reduce risky driving behavior.

During last year’s Operation Firecracker, law enforcement agencies across North Carolina issued 63,477 traffic and criminal violations – to include 1,785 drunk driving arrests – while conducting 6,571 sobriety-checking stations and saturation patrols.

Everyone has a responsibility to themselves and their fellow motorists to practice safe driving habits.

In conjunction with the enforcement campaign, the NCDOT will utilize the “Don’t Drink and Drive. You’re Smarter Than That.” marketing campaign to remind North Carolina citizens on multiple ways to get home safely if they plan to drink alcohol.

The campaign encourages planning a way to get home safely in advance by designating a sober driver, downloading a ride app, checking on public transportation availability or programming a taxi number into your mobile phone.

All of these methods are easy and effective ways to ensure a safe return home after a night of fun.

It is important to make safe decisions yourself, but it is also important to look out for others.

If you know someone who is about to drive impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to their destination.

If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement immediately. You could be the difference between life and death.

Here are some additional tips for navigating the highways during the holiday travel season:

Leave early to get a head start on your drive. Travel at non-peak hours when possible.

Be patient and obey the posted speed limit.

Slow down and pay extra attention when going through work zones. Even if work is suspended, you may encounter narrowed lanes and traffic shifts in work zone areas. There is an added $250 fine for speeding in a work zone, even when work is not actually taking place.

Use alternate routes when possible to avoid traffic congestion.

Don’t drive drowsy. Travel at times when you are normally awake, and take frequent breaks.

Avoid distracted driving. When drivers stop focusing on the road ahead, they react more slowly to traffic conditions and are more likely to be involved in an accident.

For real-time travel information at any time, visit the Travel Services section of the NCDOT website or follow NCDOT on Twitter.