The stretch of road on which four young people died yesterday has been identified by gardaí as a notorious accident blackspot.
The N72 between Killarney and Barraduff, where the fatal crash occurred, is on the official list of collision-prone zones compiled by the Garda National Traffic Bureau.
Brothers David (17) and Kevin Breen (15) from Hazelwood Drive, Ballyspillane, Killarney, and Áine Riordan (15) from St John’s Park, Castleisland, all died at the scene at Barraduff in Co Kerry, while Brian Coffey (19) from Crohane, Fossa, died later in hospital.
A total of four fatal collisions have previously occurred on the same road stretch. A further nine serious injury collisions and 22 minor injury collisions have occurred on the road stretch over the past 10 years.
The compiling of collision-prone zones follows an extensive analysis carried out by An Garda Síochána in conjunction with the National Roads Authority, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Local Government Computer Services Board.
The zones consist of road sections measuring about five to eight kilometres that have been identified as being predisposed to collisions.