WASHINGTON, May 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
THURSDAY, MAY 31: GAS RATIONING
Profile America -- Thursday, May 31st. We may grumble about the price of gas when filling up our cars and trucks but can you imagine what would be said if the government restricted us to three gallons a week? That's exactly what happened this month in 1942 -- as some states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort. By the end of the year, rationing was nationwide and remained in effect until the end of World War II, along with a national speed limit of 35 miles an hour. Now, there are 120,000 gas stations across the country. Each year, they sell a total of 174 billion gallons of gasoline. The average car consumes 560 gallons of fuel a year, while SUVs, vans and pickups use 680 gallons.
You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov.
Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at +1-301-763-2812, fax at +1-301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed(At)census.gov.