A change to the font on traffic signs, an effort to protect consumers from counterfeit auto parts, a gift to a teacher's aide, and a spin on the 2016 presidential campaign were among the items being promoted by automotive companies and departments recently.

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[naviga:li]New traffic signs will look a little different starting later this month. The Federal Highway Administration recently announced that an experimental font called Clearview will not be approved for use on signs after Feb. 23. The FHWA says the font was first introduced on traffic signs in 2004 with the goal of improving legibility at greater distances. However, Clearview was not able to accomplish this goal and actually compromised legibility on signs with negative contrasts, such as black lettering on a yellow background. The change does not require the removal of any existing signs, but signs installed in the future will return to the "Highway Gothic" font.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Hyundai has launched a campaign to make the public more aware of the dangers associated with counterfeit parts. The automaker says repair shops that are not recognized as official collision centers may use counterfeit parts or parts that have been recycled from vehicles damaged in crashes. These parts will reduce the vehicle's value at resale and also increase the risk of damage or injury in an accident. Hyundai has produced a series of videos for its YouTube channel and the Public Awareness section of its website. The first video shows how a counterfeit airbag can fail in a collision, causing a driver to impact the steering wheel.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]A teacher's aide in California got a pleasant surprise recently when her school joined together to get her a new 2016 Chevy Malibu. Monica Brewer, nicknamed "Miss Momo," has worked at Clovis West High School in Fresno since 1989. Students, faculty, and community members began a fundraising effort to buy Brewer a new vehicle after learning that the vehicle she had used for 20 years no longer met smog requirements and could not be re-registered after February. Chevrolet found out about Brewer's situation and offered to donate the Malibu, saying her work exemplifies the community service highlighted in the automaker's #DayItForward campaign. This effort encourages people to use this year's Leap Day to do good deeds.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]In recognition of the presidential race, Chrysler is featuring a pair of fictional ex-Presidents in the promotions for its 200 and 300 models. Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman are both participating in the "Premium to the People" advertising campaign featuring these vehicles. Sheen played President Josiah Bartlett in the TV series "The West Wing," while Pullman led humanity's resistance against an alien invasion as President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film "Independence Day." The commercials featuring the fictional presidents debuted on Valentine's Day and President's Day.[/naviga:li]

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