Every death on our roads is a tragedy but the circumstances surrounding the crash which killed four members of a US family in Co Wexford were particularly devastating.
Doug Alexander and his wife Lily, who were both in their 70s, and their sons, Doug jnr (52) and Steven (48) were all pronounced dead at the scene of a collision with a lorry on Monday evening.
It is understood they were travelling from their Illinois home to the funeral of Mrs Alexander's sister and had hired a car after landing at Shannon Airport.
There will be enormous sympathy for their relatives and friends, and it can only be hoped that throughout December and beyond, road-users everywhere remain acutely aware of the dangers present during their journeys.
