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Use brands to improve motorway safety, companies say

The generic 'knife and fork' motorway service sign, which has been used for decades, could be ditched in favour of specific logos for brands such as McDonalds and Burger King.

Ministers are being urged to consider scrapping the rules that have preserved the traditional symbols used on UK motorway signs.

Motorway service operators such as Roadchef, Welcome Break and Moto say the signs are antiquated. They say that advertising the presence of well known names at the service station can improve road safety by encouraging more drivers to take a break.

Motorway service companies are allowed to display their own name half a mile from the services but cannot show any other brand signs. Some firms have used a loophole to get around the problem by renaming their operating companies. For example, Roadchef now has signs for 'Roadchef Costa Coffee' while Welcome Break advertises 'Welcome Break Kentucky Fried Chicken'. But the firms are now pushing to be allowed to go further.

Martin Grant, chief executive of Roadchef, admitted he had a commercial interest but argued his calls tied into the government's Take a Break campaign. By using the loophole in the rules to display the Costa Coffee logo, Roadchef says it has attracted between 15,000 and 25,000 extra people to its services each week.

George Charters , chief executive of Welcome Break, said: "Take a Break is a government initiative. The brands encourage more people to turn in and that is consistent with road safety."

Critics of the plans are worried that too many brand names could be a distraction for motorists.