The warning came after four men were killed in road accidents on Friday night - the same day it was announced that road deaths so far this year were down by 39 on last year's figure.

The crashes in Monaghan, Dublin and Louth have now reduced that figure to 35 and the RSA's chief executive Noel Brett yesterday warned motorists not to get complacent in July.

"Despite all the progress we have made and that Ireland is the most improved country in Europe with a 23% reduction in road fatalities over the last ten months, bad things do happen on our roads and will happen in the future, " he said.

"The message we want to send out to people is that a split second on the road can be the difference between life and death so we urge people to be particularly aware that the month of July is the most statistically dangerous month on our roads."

The first victim of the weekend's carnage was an 80-year-old man who was hit by a truck while crossing the road in Emyvale, Co Monaghan. A 36-year-old man was killed in a collision at Hackballscross near Dundalk, Co Louth, and a 37-year-old man was killed in a collision on the Belgard Road in Clondalkin. A 38-year-old man died in a single-vehicle accident in Drogheda when the car he was driving went out of control.