Under the new laws, any driver who commits a low-range (blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 - 0.079) drink-driving offence will be fined $561 and lose their licence immediately for three months.

Penalties for first time drug presence offences detected on the roadside via NSW’s mobile drug testing program will include a fine and three month licence suspension.

First time mid-range (BAC of 0.08 - 0.14) offenders will need to have an alcohol interlock device installed in their vehicle to prove they can separate their drinking from driving.  

Repeat offenders will face vehicle sanctions, including licence plate confiscation and vehicle impoundment.

Before these changes, more than 50% of first time offenders received no fine or recorded conviction. The new penalties will act as a stronger deterrent for drink and drunk driving.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils' Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said that last year 55 people lost their lives in alcohol related crashes and 81 people died in crashes involving someone with illicit drugs in their system.

“The 0.05 limit has been in place in NSW for almost 38 years,” Ms Suitor said.

“The message to the community is powerful.

“Have a Plan B, because if you drink drive you will be caught and you will lose your licence.

“Studies have found an increase in crash risk of around four times at the lower end of mid-range (0.08 BAC) compared with unimpaired driving.

“At the high end, near 0.15 BAC, the crash risk rises steeply to around 12 times.

"Regardless, it is hard to think of a greater deterrent than the life sentence of guilt over becoming responsible for inflicting trauma on others," Ms Suitor said.

And with the festive season just around the corner, NSW Police are warning drivers that small towns and back roads will be the target of police breath testing strategies.

Chief Inspector David Cooper said that 80% of fatal drink driving crashes have occurred on country roads this year, with almost a third of all fatal and serious alcohol-involved crashes caused by young drivers.

“We will be targeting these small communities where you may not have seen a RBT done for sometime because we think complacency is the issue with drink driving,” Chief Inspector Cooper said. 

“What we want to do is combat the belief that you can have a few drinks in a small community and not be pulled over for a RBT.

"The increase in penalties and changes in legislation is about deterrence.

“What we want is for all motorists and the public to be safe and to be able to go about their lives.

“This isn’t about revenue-raising but asking people to re-think their complacent attitudes with regard to the consumption of alcohol and drugs whilst driving," Chief Inspector Cooper said.