The Road Safety Authority has described today's crash in Westmeath in which three women and a girl were killed as "an appalling loss of life".
Gardaí say a collision took place between a car and a jeep on a straight stretch of road just after 7.30am.
Communications manager Brian Farrell sais the tragedy serves as a reminder of how fragile life can be when using our roads.
"It really is shocking; an awful, awful tragedy," he said. "Such an awful loss of life.
"We would hope that if anything comes from such an appalling loss of life, that it serves as a reminder to us all that using the roads is the most dangerous thing we do every day."
A woman & 3 children have died after a road accident on the N4 Dublin to Sligo road near Mullingar #rtenews pic.twitter.com/Gxo77AJdNa
— Colm Hand (@ColmHand) June 28, 2014