A 12-year-old boy has been stopped by police after he attempted to drive across Australia on his own, getting almost a third of the way there.
The boy was pulled over at Broken Hill in far western NSW on Saturday morning, some 1300 kilometres into his journey.
He had seemingly driven across the entire state of New South Wales, after setting off from Kendall near Port Macquarie on the east coast.
In a statement on Sunday, a NSW Police spokesperson said the boy was on his way to Perth.
He was stopped by Highway Patrol officers at about 11am when they noticed his car's bumper was dragging along the ground.
"Officers from Broken Hill Highway Patrol stopped a motor vehicle on the Barrier Highway due to defects which made the vehicle hazardous," the spokesperson said.
"Checks revealed the driver to be a 12-year-old boy travelling from Kendall NSW on his way to Perth," the spokesperson said.
The boy was arrested and taken to Broken Hill police station.
Police said inquiries into the boy's situation were continuing.
His arrest came on day two of "Operation Go Slow", with double demerits for speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelt offences applying until 11.59pm on April 25.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command urged everyone to drive safely.
"Don't drink and drive, don't speed, take regular breaks, wear your seatbelt, and be aware of your surroundings whilst travelling this weekend," he said.
AAP
