THE war against reckless motorists putting lives at risk by driving under the influence of drugs is being stepped up by police.

Officers in Hampshire are among those armed with a new piece of kit enabling them to catch offenders by a simple roadside test.

The DrugWipe 3S will be used to detect a variety of illegal drugs in suspects' systems through officers via a saliva specimen.

It comes as new legislation is launched today greatly bolstering officers powers to clamp down on those driving under the influence of drugs.

Now anyone caught driving, or attempting to operate a motor vehicle with the concentration of a specified controlled drug, above a specified limit, is breaking the law, bringing it more in line with drink driving limits.

The new kit allows officers to conduct a preliminary test via a specimen at the roadside or police station, subject to drivers failing Field Impairment Test (FIT) - a series of checks assessing driving ability.

All suspects will still require a blood sample as confirmation of the drugs' presence.

Sergeant Rob Heard, who leads road safety issues in the county, said: “Drug drivers can suffer from slower reaction times, erratic and aggressive behaviour, an inability to concentrate properly, nausea, hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, tremors, dizziness and fatigue.”

Among the victims of a drug a driver was 10-year-old Evey who was killed after the car she was travelling in was hit by Robert Blakely, who was two and a half times over the legal drink-drive limit and had been smoking cannabis.

She was in the car with her parents, Neal and Penny , who were left with serious injuries.

Blakely was jailed for ten years in April this year for admitting causing the incident on the A3020 Cowes Road in Newport, on the Isle of Wight.

Drug drivers face a fine of up to £5,000 with a minimum 12 month driving ban, while the conviction lies on licenses for 11 years and may affect drivers ability to hire vehicles.