Third driving lesson down. We had to travel quite far today because my town literally doesn't have a single roundabout to practise, or a safe place to learn emergency stops.
So I've gone from terrifying public roads on the first lesson, to newbie-friendly industrial estate on the third.
But when did I ever do anything in the normal way? 🤷♀️
Second lesson done! Getting slightly better at mirrors, still a coward with the gears though and very unable to steer round corners if I'm doing a gear change at the same time 😅
On the bright side he says I've got good coordination and I choose to believe it wasn't sarcastic.
Just survived my first driving lesson since the handful I had with a terrible instructor back in 2017. Very stressed, very sweaty, but no major incidents.
Please clap.
Driving instructor launches 10p‑an‑hour lessons to help locals hit the road
Mike Colwill, who runs Mike Colwill Driver Training (MCDT) from Skewen and covers much of South and West Wales, has launched a community prize draw that will give one local resident a complete block of driving lessons for a £2.99 entry fee.
The offer covers Swansea, Neath, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Bridgend and Cardiff — and Mike says he wants to remove the financial barriers that stop people getting behind the wheel.
30 hours of lessons for less than the price of a coffee
The 30‑hour package normally costs more than £1,000, but Mike says rising lesson prices, insurance costs and general living expenses mean many young people and career‑changers simply can’t afford to learn.
The prize is fully transferable, meaning parents or grandparents can enter and pass the lessons on to someone else.
Mike Colwill, owner of MCDT, said:
“I see first‑hand how much a driving licence changes lives, but I also know the start‑up costs are higher than ever. By offering this 30‑hour course for what works out to be 10p per hour, I’m turning my ambition of helping the local community into a reality.”
Inspired by helping a learner who couldn’t afford lessons
Mike says the idea comes from his own training days, when he taught a local resident for free because they couldn’t afford lessons.
Mike added:
“I taught him right up until he passed his test on his first attempt. Helping him gain that independence felt awesome, and it’s a feeling I want to recreate for someone else in our community.”
Free entry route and charity vouchers
The draw is skills‑based — entrants must answer a driving theory question correctly — and there is also a free postal entry option, meaning someone could win the entire course for the price of a stamp.
Alongside the giveaway, Mike is donating “Barrier‑Breaker” vouchers to youth charities to support people facing anxiety or financial hardship. He says he has already contacted several organisations and is inviting more to get in touch.
How to enter
Residents can enter the draw at: www.mikecolwill.co.uk
Entries close 31 January 2026.
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Revealed: The 10 road signs learner drivers are most likely to be quizzed on
Researchers used the DVSA’s Safe Driving for Life e‑learning platform to run thousands of mock tests, analysing which questions came up most frequently. The results show a clear pattern of signs that learners are repeatedly asked to identify.
Below are the 10 most‑asked road signs — with answers moved further down the page to keep the challenge real.
1.
A red triangle with a bicycle symbol.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 11.9% of mock tests.
2.
A blue rectangular sign showing a bicycle with a vertical line to its right.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 7.2% of tests.
3.
A blue circular sign showing a bicycle and two pedestrians holding hands. Scroll down for the answer. Appeared in 7.2% of tests.
4.
A blue circular sign showing a number with a red diagonal line through it.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 6.5% of tests.
5.
A white rectangular sign with a crossed‑out circular symbol and the words “Zone Ends.”
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 5.7% of tests.
6.
An octagonal red sign covered in snow.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 5.1% of tests.
7.
A red triangular sign showing a car falling from a ledge into water.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 5% of tests.
8.
A blue rectangular sign with a “P” and a car on a platform.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 4.9% of tests.
9.
A red triangular sign showing a pedestrian between dashed lines.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 4.8% of tests.
10.
A red circular sign showing a motorbike above a car.
Scroll down for the answer.
Appeared in 4.8% of tests.
Why these signs matter
Mattijs Wijnmalen, CEO of Vignetteswitzerland.com, said:
“Across the 3,000 mock tests we ran, we found that users were significantly more likely to be asked about certain road signs than others. For example, users were asked to correctly identify the ‘cycle route ahead’ sign nearly twice as often as any other question.”
He added that while learners should know all road signs, these ten are well worth revising before sitting the real test.
Answers: Most‑asked road signs
1. Cycle route ahead
– Warns road users that there is a cycle route crossing or joining the road ahead.
2. With‑flow cycle lane
– Notifies road users of a dedicated cycle lane that goes in the same direction as the traffic.
3. Route for pedestrians and cyclists
– Notifies road users of a shared path for both pedestrians and cyclists.
4. End of minimum speed
– Notifies road users that the mandatory minimum speed limit shown has ended.
5. End of controlled parking zone
– Notifies road users that specific parking restrictions, such as permits or pay and display, no longer apply beyond this point.
6. Stop
– Tells road users to come to a complete stop before proceeding.
7. Quayside or river bank
– Warns road users of a sharp edge where the road meets water ahead.
8. Vehicles may park fully on the verge or footway
– Notifies road users that in this area vehicles are permitted to park fully on the pavement or verge.
9. Zebra crossing ahead
– Warns road users of a zebra crossing ahead.
10. No motor vehicles
– Motor vehicles, including cars and motorbikes, are not allowed beyond this point.
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After 12 90-Minute driving lessons, I have my Schaltkompetenz (proof of competency shifting in manual cars) and can move on to automatic. 😄 Tbh I think I will miss driving manual. I put in all that hard work learning to shift properly in many different kind of situations after all! My instructor even led me to drive on a very popular cycling road where lots of motorcyclists were going up and down the curvy hill today, cyclist mostly going up. Now I'm the one in the 4-wheeled vehicle 😂
Michelle / The Giddy Stitcher
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