A shocking new commercial highlighting the dangers of driving whilst using your mobile phone has been created by the directors behind one of Pharrell's biggest music videos.

We Are From LA - the duo behind the music video for Pharrell Williams’s hit song Happy - have teamed up with THINK! to create a new advert for its road safety campaign.

Having shot Evian’s Babies and the current Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Converse adverts, the duo have filmed this new video, which is aimed at cutting the number of people killed or injured by drivers using mobile phones.

The new ad will run online, in cinemas and on social media from Wednesday (October 25) and is shot in the style of a music video.

Stop using mobile phones at the wheel

It features an edgy soundtrack from musician Aphex Twin, and numerous pink kittens to highlight how much drivers miss if they are distracted by looking at their phone.

If a driver travelling at 30mph glances at their phone for just 2.3 seconds, they miss 100 feet of road – the length of a Boeing 737.

Shot in the style of a music video, it uses vibrant colours and an edgy soundtrack to engage the young audience and challenge the misconception that a quick glance at your phone won’t hurt

Jesse Norman, road safety minister, said: "We have some of the safest roads in the world, but we are always looking at ways to make them even safer.

"But the awful truth is that tens of thousands of drivers are still flouting the law and endangering others by using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel.

"This eye-catching advert demonstrates how dangerous looking at your phone for just two seconds can be, and the devastating impact it can have on other road users."

On March 1, 2017, penalties for using a handheld mobile while driving were doubled to a £200 fine and six penalty points.

The new laws mean drivers caught using phones twice face a lengthy ban, which could also then lead to a £1,000 fine, while new drivers - those who have passed within the last two years - face having their licence revoked if caught just once.

“We hope that this will help persuade more drivers to put away their handheld mobile phone for good when driving and be phone smart.”

More than 15,000 fines have been issued to drivers using a handheld phone since the new penalties were introduced.

THINK! is urging Android smartphone users to download the Car Mode app or if you have an iPhone, use drive safe mode, which automatically detects when you’re driving, and silences incoming calls and messages.

Chief constable Anthony Bangham, National Police Chiefs’ council lead for roads policing, said: "Driving while distracted by a mobile phone is completely unacceptable and puts everyone on the roads at risk of serious harm.

"Police are making use of the tougher penalties to clamp down on this dangerous behaviour – but we have to be clear that when you get behind the wheel it is your responsibility to stay focused and alert.

"As this campaign makes clear, it only takes a few seconds of distraction to change lives forever."

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android.