A 14-year-old girl who drove her siblings to a central Hamilton school has been referred to Youth Aid, and the mother who told her to do so faces a $400 fine.
Waikato police say they are concerned some parents are willing to risk their children's lives.
The 14-year-old was stoppedat a police child restraint checkpoint having just dropped two of her younger siblings off at school.
The incident is the second in three weeks involving a minor in charge of a vehicle in Waikato.
A 13-year-old boy was clocked speeding at nearly 140km/h with his father asleep in the passenger seat near Taupiri, 8km southeast of Huntly.
After initially trying to give the officer false details, the father said his son had been driving because he was suffering from gout.
"Seeing this at all is a worry," said acting Waikato road policing manager Senior Sergeant Tim Anderson.
"I wouldn't say it is an increasing trend but this sporadic event with minors on the road is still very concerning."
Meanwhile, a 38-year-old Hamilton grandmother has been fined about $2000 after she was stopped with her 18-month-old grandchild in an untethered car seat.
Two other children, aged 3 and 4, were only wearing seatbelts while a 6-year-old was not wearing any kind of restraint at all.
Mr Anderson said the woman was in breach of the conditions of her learner licence by driving with passengers. She was also behind the wheel of an unwarranted, unregistered car.
"On most occasions we are looking for one specific offence but there were multiple offences this time, she was hardly setting a good example for her children."
