With the July 4 holiday falling on a Saturday and many business and government offices being closed today, area police are warning drivers to keep it safe, keep it sober, or go to jail.

"We'll be out in full force," said Davenport police Lt. Mike Venema, the commander of the department's traffic division. "As with all holidays, officers are extra aware of possible drunk drivers."

Venema said that revelers should "celebrate responsibly, designate a driver if out with friends, but best of all drink at home."

The Iowa State Patrol will participate in the Special Traffic Enforcement Program, funded by the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, to put more officers on roadways. There were 11 fatalities on Iowa's roadways during the Memorial Day weekend, said STEP coordinator Randy Hunefeld.

In 2008, 412 people died on Iowa's roadways, with five of those being killed around July 4, he added.

Nabbing impaired drivers is a top priority for Illinois State Police District 7, which covers Rock Island, Henry, Knox and Mercer counties. Troopers have made 255 drunken driving arrests so far this year, according to District 7 Commander Capt. Jeffrey Patterson. That is a 90 percent increase over this time last year. Troopers arrested 50 drunken drivers in June alone, he said.

District 7 troopers also issued more than 2,100 citations to people for failing to wear their seatbelts.

"Our job is to save lives and prevent injuries. The troopers remain proactive to accomplish this," Patterson said.

As of July 1, 436 people have died on Illinois' roadways this year.

Boaters need to be safe and sober on the area's rivers, too. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said that Conservation Police Officers will patrol during the holiday weekend. Those driving boats can no more be intoxicated than people driving on the roadway, because it means a drunken driving arrest, too.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Chief of Law Enforcement Rafael Gutierrez said that 20 people already have died in boating-related accidents on Illinois' waters since October.

"Accidents and fatalities on Illinois waters usually come down to a couple of things, people not wearing life jackets, or people who operate carelessly or recklessly," Gutierrez said. "We cannot stress enough how important it is to wear your life jacket and to have a designated driver on board."