When many think of the sunshine state, they think of NBA superstars Dwayne Wade or LeBron James (many locals refer to Miami-Dade County as Wade County lol), similarly to how many in Los Angeles may reference Shaq and Kobe. Others will reference the great Dan Marino (who is from Pittsburgh originally) and his perfect NFL season. Generation Xers will likely cite hurricane Andrew and the unimaginable property damages and bodily injury tolls from it’s wake in the mid-90s. The rest will choose the Spring Break haven that is South Beach or Key West. Regardless, South Florida has that and so much more to offer, for better or worse; and in honor of our annual observation of Labor Day, we’ve provided the good, the bad, and the odd highlights of South Florida you may or may not be totally aware of:

We’ve got great attractions: Mile 0 of the South Florida Keys, home to amazing aquatic life and reefs. Miami is also home to the fabled South Beach and Sarasota’s white sands on the Gulf of Mexico.

We’ve got great sports teams: South Florida is home to storied football teams like the Miami Dolphins and University Hurricanes. Even the short-lived super-team, Miami Heat has a place among the greatest South Florida professional squads.

We’ve got some culture: Depending upon the town, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties are home to some of the most interesting cultures. Predominantly Cuban, Spanish and Haitian, South Beach and the associated towns boast little-Havana and Haiti style cuisine and entertainment. From the clubs, to the bars and casinos, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade have become almost as much of a vacation hot-spot as Orlando’s home of the famous Mickey Mouse and friends (Walt Disney World).

We also lead the state in total car accidents and crashes: South Florida, Miami specifically, also leads the state in automotive accidents. Broward County and Orange County follow second and third, respectfully. While Florida residents may not initially be surprised by this 2022 “Snapple fact’” the pandemic (since passed) had reduced these numbers so dramatically that many newcomers have yet to see the full-force that is Palm Beach, Broward and Miami traffic. To paint a more permanent picture, here are a few recent South Florida accident statistics:

• In 2014 there were roughly sixty-thousand automobile accidents reported.

• Every year thereafter, roughly a six-percent increase in accidents have been reported by the Florida Highway administration.

• From 2019 to December of 2021, South Florida as a whole saw a twenty-six percent decrease in traffic accidents were reported.

• Despite the numbers of our most recent two years, accidents reported in 2022 have already tied 2014 statistics and it is still a few days before the heavily traveled holidays that are Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation week.

• To add insult to personal injury, the total number of automotive fatalities have steadily increased year over year, without any reprieve (regardless of the pandemic numbers and decline in total crashes from 2019-21’).

TBC..