A new test is being rolled out to prevent drink drivers from getting behind the wheel in New York.

Residents in the Big Apple that have previously been found in breach of alcohol legislation in regards to driving, will, as of next month, be forced to submit to a compulsory breath test every time they wish to start their vehicle according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal. Anyone with a previous conviction for drink driving will be subject to the new initiative.

In what will become the most stringent anti-drinking laws ever passed in New York, as of August 15 even first-time offenders will be presented with an ignition-locking device to be installed in their cars. This will theoretically make drink driving for serial or even new offenders impossible. Drivers will be required to blow into a specially fitted nozzle to prove to their vehicle that they are sober enough to drive, with lawmakers also asking that periodic repeats of the process be performed on every journey to ensure that no alcohol is being consumed while on the road.

The system works on detection and essentially annoyance – a high reading will cause a sharp, piercing noise to be pumped through the vehicle speaker system which grows progressively louder to the point that the driver will be forced to shut down the vehicle from the volume. When a follow-up test is taken, a second failure will result in the ignition being locked. The noise will be set-off by any reading of over .025 blood-alcohol percentage, which is roughly one-third under the legal limit.

The new devices cost about $100 (£65) to install, and under the new laws must be used for not less than six months. The system also costs a further $100 to run each month.