Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Democrat representing Michigan's 12th district, announced plans this week to introduce legislation aimed at reducing drunk driving.

The action is prompted by the deaths of Northville residents Issam Abbas and Dr. Rima Abbas and their three children - Ali, 14; Isabelle, 13; and Giselle, 7, who were killed by a drink driver in Kentucky while on their way home from a Florida vacation.

“Their loss has devastated our community in ways you cannot imagine,” Dingell said during a Thursday speech on the U.S. House of Representatives floor. “In every sense of the word, they were a community. Their absence stunned this community and is felt deeply and emotionally.”

Dingell, whose 12th District includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dearborn and the Abbas’ hometown of Northville, is planning to introduce legislation that would require all new vehicles to have interlocking breathalyzers.

These devices are usually attached to the ignition system of the vehicles and require you to test your blood-alcohol content before unlocking and starting your car. Simply put, if your BAC is above the legal limit, it won't allow you to start the car.

Dingell said she was influenced by community members young and old, who had researched the topic and approached her during visitations and funerals for the Abbas family. She plans to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as the auto industry to pass the proposal.

“If we can keep one person from dying on the roads and make people think twice before getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. Even when they’re buzzed and think they are Ok. Can’t we say we’ve been successful?” she said.

A photo of the family flanked Dingell as she announced her plans on the house floor.

“Nothing will bring back the Abass family,” she said. “But their lives are too important to forget. Our community will deeply miss them, but we must make sure their death is not in vain.”