VISUAL ACTIVITYThe Fuel Shortage This billboard appeared in 1980 while Iran held Americans hostage in Tehran (see “The Cold War Intensifies”). The Iranian revolution brought to power Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, pictured on the billboard, and created gasoline shortages and rising gas prices, vexing motorists all over the United States. The ad urges drivers to observe the fuel-saving 55-mile-per-hour speed limit imposed in 1974 during the first oil crisis.READING THE IMAGE: What assumptions does the billboard make about Americans’ reactions to the Iran hostage crisis? What reasons does the ad give for drivers to respect the speed limit? What reasons are not mentioned?CONNECTIONS: What impact did the hostage and oil crises have on American politics?

Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.