EXCLUSIVE

Cops are alarmed by the pics we posted today showing Amanda Bynes behind the wheel and smoking what appears to be pot -- and several patrol officers tell us they're now on alert because they fear her driving habits have turned deadly.

The officers we spoke with -- who don't want to be named -- say the pics explain a lot about Amanda's alleged hit-and-runs. One cop with many years of experience as a patrol officer tells TMZ, "She's on the same road as my wife and kids and I'm scared about getting a call in the middle of the night that my little one is dead."

The cop added, "She's addicted to something and she's driving a deadly weapon and is going to kill someone. It scares the s**t out of me."

Another cop said, "The public should be afraid of her. From looking at the photos, and what she's smoking, she has no sense of reality. If she's not stopped she's gonna kill someone."

Another said, "She is going down a road that she cannot come back from when she injures or kills someone. The photos don't surprise me at all."