No one wants to take away your holiday fun with a lot of lecturing about safety, including driving, fireworks, drinking and - just fill in the blank, etc.

After all, this weekend is about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," right?

But while some might emphasize pursuing happiness, we want you to protect your life and the lives of others.

With Independence Day falling on a Saturday, many people are enjoying a three-day weekend, providing more time for travel.

More than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 or more miles from home this weekend, according to the auto club AAA. That's a drop of nearly 2 percent from last year, but still a sizeable number.

An old e-mail has been making the rounds warning of a "new" law taking effect July 1 that will enable Illinois State Police to use special cameras to enforce speed limits in work zones, writing tickets for 1 mph over the limit.

Well, the "new" law took effect four years ago. And police have always had the power to strictly enforce violations - even 1 mph over the limit - but have discretion.

Warning signs in advance of the photo enforcement zone provide time to slow down, unless you are already way above the speed limit and not paying attention.

But old news or not, there is information in the e-mail worth repeating: such as the fine for speeding in a work zone: $375 for the first offense, $1,000 for the second offense.

The e-mail doesn't mention it, but we will: Tickets for speeding in a work zone require you to appear in court. And if your second offense happens less than two years after the first, your drivers' license will be suspended for 90 days. Plus, with that must-appear ticket, you will have to pay additional court costs - which vary from county to county

This isn't just a matter of protecting highway workers. Work zones are dangerous places for motorists, too, with hazards such as unexpected lane changes, uneven pavement and narrower lanes. State police say 85 percent of those killed in work zone accidents are drivers and their passengers.

Slowing down gives you more time to react and lessens the severity of an impact.

So be careful out there, whether you are traveling more than 50 miles away this weekend or just to a neighborhood cookout.

Get plenty of rest before driving. Designate a non-drinking driver, if alcohol is served. Obey traffic rules, including those mandating seat belt use. Use common sense, and watch out for the drivers who don't.