MORE than TWO MILLION passengers would 'do nothing' if the person driving them starting using a phone at the wheel. 

That's the result of new research being published today. 

The AA Trust has produced this video to show why you need to speak up and stop others from using their phone whilst driving. 

It comes after a mother and her children were killed in a horror crash when lorry driver Tomasz Kroker became distracted by his phone at the wheel and smashed in to the family's car. 

Kroker was jailed for 10 years last month and shocking video of the crash was released to make drivers think twice about their behaviour. 

The Government intends to increase the penalties for using a mobile at the wheel to six penalty points and a £200 fine but the AA Trust believes changing behaviour is just as important.

A total of 24,620 people were killed or seriously injured in the year ending June 2016, up 3% compared to the previous year.

For the same period, deaths of car occupants rose by 9% and pedestrians by 3%.

The AA Populus poll of 23,141 drivers asked: Which of the following would you do if you were a passenger and your driver used their hand-held mobile when driving?

Ask them to stop using phone 59%

Offer to take the call 50%

Take the phone away 12%

Refuse to get in car with them again 8%

Report them to police 1% (203 people)

Nothing, but would be annoyed 5% (1096 people)

Nothing, won’t bother me 1% (288 people)

More than one in ten (13%) young drivers (18-24 yrs) find it difficult to ignore a message or email alert on their phones whilst driving.

Overall, 6% of drivers find this difficult.

One fifth (20%) of motorists claim to see other drivers on hand-held mobiles on every journey they make.

The AA says statistics for deaths and injuries caused by distracted drivers are probably underestimated as sometimes it is difficult to pinpoint the specific cause.

However, using phones at the wheel last year is attributed to 22 deaths and 440 crashes.

Other distractions in the vehicle accounted for 61 deaths and 2,920 crashes.

In order to stop these avoidable deaths, the AA Trust is embarking on a year-long campaign to change behaviour. The campaign kicks off with the launch of a new film, “Cadence”.

A young film-maker became so uncomfortable by her peers’ driving and use of mobiles at the wheel that she has produced a film with a safety twist, thanks to funding from the AA Charitable Trust.

Emmeline Kellie, who wrote, starred in and produced the film was compelled to do so after becoming such a nervous car passenger with many of her friends because they were always using their mobile phones behind the wheel.

Emmeline said: “I saw a road safety presentation when I was at school and it really struck a chord with me.

“Roads make me nervous so I delayed driving for quite a while because I was too scared to take my life into my own hands, but as my friends started using their phones more and more at the wheel, it became clear that I would be safer driving myself.

“People just don’t realise it only takes one moment to glance at a text and it can all go wrong behind the wheel; and that it only needs to go wrong once.”

Edmund King OBE, AA charitable trust director, said: “Despite horrific and tragic deaths caused by drivers distracted by phones, the problem is still rife.

“This epidemic of hand held mobile phone use while driving has already cost lives and drivers have demanded action. Three quarters of drivers see others using mobile phones on some or most journeys, with one quarter seeing it on every journey, according to our polls. Our campaign aims to change attitudes but it must be supported by tougher penalties and more cops in cars.”