Recently released PennDOT data for 2016 shows that, while the number of car crashes statewide is on the rise again, Chester County has recorded its first decline since 2012, writes Jason Laughlin for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pennsylvania recorded the lowest number of car crash-related deaths since it began collecting data in 1928. This is welcome news as it had increased by 13.2 percent over the last three years.

However, the overall increase in accidents is due to the growing number of drivers on the roads. In Chester County, the population is booming, and more people are choosing to drive due to the improving economy and the recent drop in gas prices.

“Because the economy is better, people are traveling around more,” said Mike Carroll, deputy managing director for the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.

Read more about Pennsylvania’s increase in collisions in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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Top photo credit: popmayhem car wreck via photopin (license)