"cars were sometimes festively burnt on Christmas and New Year’s Day"
"between 20 and 40 cars were burnt out every night in France"
WTF. What's the statistics for nightly burnt cars here in the US?
http://www.ohioinsurance.org/factbook/2003-04/chapter5/chapter5_c.shtml
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates:
In 2002, there were 41,000 intentionally set vehicle fires (up 3.8% from 2001).
Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the United States, Annual, 2001
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WRO/is_2001_Annual/ai_n7639658/pg_18
Table 2.32: Arson, 2001
[12,155 agencies; 2001 estimated population 222,587,680]
Classification: vehicles, 22,381
Average damage $11,098
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When compared to French statistic of "30 to 40 per night", which would equal 10,500 to 14,600 annually in a population of (2001) 61,1000,000, which is one-third that of the U.S., their vehicle arson rate is higher. To equal France's, ours would have to be 30,000 to 43,000. To equal ours, theirs would have to be 7,400.