Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said offenders will also have to foot the bill for the installation of these devices under the new alcohol interlock legislation which passed through State Parliament on Tuesday night.

She said the devices would be fitted to vehicles once drivers had served their drink driving penalty time without a licence and would remain in place for at least six months.

“This legislation will target those drink drivers who fail to get the message that their irresponsible actions kill,” Mrs Harvey said.

“The offender will be responsible for the cost of installing the alcohol interlock system."

The breath-testing immobilisers will cost an offender between $1,600 and $2,200 to install and if the driver returns a positive test, of 0.02 blood alcohol or more, the vehicle won't start.

South West Traffic officer-in-charge Sergeant Craig Clarke said he thought the legislation was a step in the right direction.

"Anything that will assist in getting drink drivers off the road is a positive," he said.

"It's easy to consume alcohol and then jump in a car without thinking and turn the key so having a physical barrier, or another hurdle in the way, is a good thing.

He said only time would tell whether the alcohol interlock system would be successful but, couldn't see any negatives with the new interlock system.

Although Sergeant Clarke said he was not sure that the legislation would help stop repeat offenders who continued to break the law.

"I don't think it will make a difference to those offenders who will constantly flout the law but, it is not going to affect those who are doing the right thing."

Mrs Harvey said the Liberal-National government were taking tough action on drink drivers after a decade of talk about alcohol interlock devices.

The scheme will target first time offenders convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol who record a positive test of 0.15 blood alcohol or more and repeat drink drivers who are convicted of two or more drink driving offences above 0.05 within a five-year period.

The alcohol interlock will be in addition to other penalties handed down by the courts. When an offender has served these other penalties and their licence is re-issued it will be a condition that they can only drive a vehicle fitted with an interlock device.

Drivers may have to give repeat breath tests throughout their journey and repeat offenders will also be directed to an alcohol counselling program.

The Office of Road Safety will continue working on regulations and anticipate to have the interlock scheme in place within 12-18 months.

Alcohol is a factor in about one quarter of fatal crashes and one in 10 serious injury crashes on Western Australian roads. A driver with a blood alcohol level above 0.15 is 25 times more likely to crash

Mrs Harvey said no death on the roads should be accepted and that the government would remain relentless in it's pursuit of reducing road trauma through safer roads, enforcement and education. 

Sergeant Clarke also had a stern word for people who continued to drink and drive, risking the safety of themselves and others on the road.

“It is statistically proven that drink driving contributes to serious and fatal crashes, so those who want to continue doing it are at risk of losing their license, their livelihood and costing themselves a lot of money.

“There is an awful lot for you to lose.

"My message to you is to seriously think about what you are doing before you get behind the wheel and start drink driving," he said.