Summertime holiday celebrations include many things.  Barbeques, friends, family, and very often, a variety of adult beverages.

The common-sense rule calls for planning and moderation.  Nothing quite ruins a party like finding out a friend or family member got arrested or injured because of drinking and driving.

1. The 4th of July is hands down the deadliest time of the year to be on the road - even for sober drivers.  Statistics show that DUI related accidents and deaths are highest during the July 4 holiday weekend.    A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 31% of the 9,878  motor vehicle deaths in 2011 were related to drunk driving.  This worked out to about one death every 53 minutes.

2. In 2011, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that
- 181 children age 14 and younger were killed in a motor vehicle crash that involved an alcohol-impaired driver
- 50% of those children were passengers in a vehicle whose driver was intoxicated.
- 14 of those children were killed as they were walking or biking down the street.

3. Also in that same year, 428 people were killed in car accidents between July 1 to July 5.  Thirty eight percent of those crashes involved at least one vehicle operator whose blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.

4. The Automobile Club of Southern California estimates that a first-time California misdemeanor DUI conviction can cost defendants upward of $16,000.  Those fines and penalties can top $22,000 for underage offenders.

5. The penalties don't stop there.  People who are convicted on a DUI offense may find themselves being slapped with a civil lawsuit.  The court may also require the defendant install an alcohol ignition interlock in their vehicle.  In some cases, DUI convictions can render a person ineligible for certain types of employment.

6. Teens who are convicted on this offense will receive two points on their driving record.  Those points will remain in effect for 13 years.  It is estimated that the final tally for increased auto insurance premiums over that time can reach upward of $40,000.

7. DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints will take place in every city and town across the United States.  Every law enforcement agency, from local police, Sheriff's deputies, state troopers and highway patrol officers will be on the lookout for persons who are drinking and driving.

8. Impaired driving is still drunk driving.  People who have a blood alcohol concentration of .o2% well below the legal limit of .08% can experience delays in reaction time and impairments in judgment.

9. People who are arrested for a DUI that result in death will be arrested and will be charged with a felony.  They could also be charged with criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter or murder.  Bail amounts for this offense can be in excess of $250,000. The penalties for a conviction for a DUI that results in death vary widely from state to state.  Depending on where the offender was taken into custody, they could be sentenced to life in prison.

So this July 4th, before you head out to the beach, park or backyard get together, consider the countless good reasons for declaring your independence from diving while under the influence.