Northwest Arkansas police and sheriffs' deputies will be out in force this holiday weekend, patrolling roads and waters for drunken drivers and encouraging everyone celebrating Independence Day to stay safe.

Washington and Benton counties, including Fayetteville, Rogers and other law enforcement agencies, are participating in a state program to boost patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the first half of July. The goal is to catch drunken drivers and persuade others not to get behind the wheel in the first place.

"Independence Day is really big -- it's one of the first big summer holidays, so there's a lot of alcohol problems, from disturbances to drunken driving," said Capt. Lynn Hahn with the Benton County Sheriff's Office. "The checkpoints don't always make a lot of arrests, but it gets the word out there that you shouldn't be drinking and driving."

Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies will patrol Beaver Lake in greater numbers as well, Hahn said. The 0.08 percent blood alcohol content limit for drivers is law on water and asphalt, and any amount of alcohol can hamper someone's ability to drive a car or boat, he said.

Drunken-driving deaths have been on the decline for two decades, but roughly 10,000 people are still killed in accidents involving alcohol each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. Almost one in three deaths on the nation's roads are blamed on alcohol use, a proportion that rises another 10 percent during the Fourth of July holiday.

The nationwide decline in drunken driving has shown itself locally, said Sgt. Oscar Henson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Habits are changing, such as more designated drivers and less acceptance of driving while intoxicated, he said.

"Everyone in the car is sloshed except for the driver -- that's what we want," he said. "It seems to be picking up."

Still, Henson said, even one drunken driver is a problem. Anyone who suspects a fellow driver is intoxicated should call 911 and at least get a direction and license plate number, he added.

Local law enforcement is using money from the traffic administration's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program to cover overtime costs for extra officers on the road. The program takes aim at speeding, distracted driving and lack of seat belts as well as drunk driving and is year-round.

The state police distribute those grants in Arkansas, said Bill Sadler, spokesman. About $2.6 million is available for the year, with roughly $250,000 going toward this weekend, he said.

People on the move should leave for home with enough time to drive safely and avoid feeling rushed, Sadler said.

"There are other people on the highway, and (drivers') mistakes, they way they're handling themselves on the highway could lead to injury or death," he said. "Most of all, stay under the speed limit and don't drink and drive."