On 10 September 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt endorsed recommendations for nationwide gasoline rationing as the United States confronted a critical wartime rubber shortage. The Rubber Survey Committee warned that conserving tires was essential to maintaining military and civilian transportation, recommending gasoline rationing alongside a national 35-mph speed limit and compulsory tire inspections.
Gasoline rationing was already operating in eastern states, where motorists used coupons to purchase limited quantities. The federal system was administered by the Office of Price Administration (OPA), with different ration books issued according to vehicle use and essential driving requirements.
The restrictions went beyond fuel. New automobile and tire supplies were severely limited as industrial capacity shifted towards military production, while Americans were encouraged to conserve rubber, share rides and reduce unnecessary driving. Rationing became an important feature of the American home front during World War II, illustrating how transportation was directly affected by global supply chains and strategic resources.
For the automotive industry, the wartime measures foreshadowed a lesson still relevant today: when critical resources become scarce, mobility systems must adapt.
