Other more uncommon signs of reckless drivers include driving without headlights on, driving with high beams on or having the radio turned up extremely loud, Nowak said. Fluctuations in speed are another tip that something is not right.

In an effort to reduce fatalities on the roads during holiday weekends, Michigan State Police will instigate Combined Accident Reduction Effort, or CARE, this holiday weekend.

CARE, which has been in operation for more than 30 years by the State Police, was formed to deter highway fatalities such as those caused by impaired driving, said State Police Sgt. John Faccio, Lansing post coordinator for CARE. Participating officers will be stationed at various rest stops throughout the state to provide refreshments for travelers.

Faccio said that in general, the longer a weekend that the Fourth of July falls on, the more accidents occur on roads throughout the state.

“When more people are off work and people are traveling more, there’s definitely more crashes,” he said.

Faccio said that up to 60 percent of crashes involve drunken driving during holiday weekends such as the Fourth of July.

“Usually on holiday weekends it’s elevated,” Faccio said. “People don’t have to work, they’re drinking a little more, that’s why we have these programs to try and keep people aware that you shouldn’t drive on these weekends.”

More officers than usual will be on the road during the weekend for traffic safety purposes, Faccio said.

During last year’s Fourth of July, where the official holiday fell on a Wednesday, there were four traffic-related deaths, according to the Michigan State Police’s traffic services division. Two of the crashes were alcohol-related. In 2006, when the Fourth of July fell on a Tuesday, there were 14 deaths on the roads in Michigan.

Advertising and public relations senior Charlene Sitchon said that because she has friends who have been injured in serious car accidents during holiday weekends, calling the police would be the first thing she would do if someone on the road seemed unsafe. The easiest safety solution this Fourth of July, Sitchon said, would be to stay in local places to avoid potential car accidents.

“It’s a touchy subject for me,” Sitchon said. “It’d be smarter just to stay off the roads in general.”

Last year, there were more than 10,000 traffic accidents, 16 of which were fatal, in Ingham County, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.

Faccio said when driving during the holiday weekend, keep notice of drivers that appear to have slow reaction times. These drivers may take a corner when turning and stay in that corner instead of reacting to the road, he said.

In Michigan, the blood alcohol content level to be charged with a DUI is 0.08. No additional proof of intoxication is necessary if a driver is pulled over and is found to have a level at or above 0.08.

For drivers under 21, Michigan enforces the “zero tolerance” rule, which implies that any BAC level above 0.02 is punishable.

Ramzi Adjao, an agricultural economics doctoral student, said that the commotion surrounding holiday weekends can lead to trouble on the road.

“People are excited, especially if you do take classes, to get a long weekend,” Adjao said. “I guess they get too excited sometimes.”

When it comes to keeping drunk drivers off the road, Adjao said maintaining awareness about the dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is most important.

“It’s very difficult to deal with people who are drunk driving,” Adjao said. “It’s easier to ask people to be careful.”