Starting on Friday, those convicted of driving drunk for the first time in Pennsylvania may have an option to losing their license for a year.

A new state law is taking effect that allows first-time DUI offenders with a blood-alcohol content of.10 or above to get an ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle.

That device would remain in the vehicle for at least a year. The cost to install an ignition interlock system and maintain it is in addition to the fines associated with the offense.

The monthly cost of the system is estimated at about $100 and the device must be installed by a PennDOT-approved mechanic.

Previously, the ignition interlock devices were only available to repeat DUI offenders. But supporters favored this measure as a way to strengthen public protections while giving offenders a chance to keep their post-arrest lives intact.

Brett Hambright, a spokesman for the Lancaster County District Attorney's office, said drivers that have ignition interlock systems installed will receive a restricted license that allows them to drive to work but it prevents their vehicle from starting if they have been drinking.

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Kathleen Riley of Smart Start, one of the companies that installs ignition interlock systems, told CBS affiliate in Philadelphia that when a driver blows into the device and detects the person had been drinking, it puts the car in a temporary lock out for five minutes. The lockout extends to 30 minutes for a second failed attempt.

Other states that adopted similar laws saw a reduction in drunk-driving fatalities, said Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery County, who sponsored the legislation, in an earlier news release.

"The families and friends of DUI victims as well as the legislators who supported this bill through the legislative process should be proud to know that their efforts strengthened our DUI laws and made our roadways safer throughout Pennsylvania."