SYDNEY (AFP) - Police on Friday charged a drunk man after pulling over a car on Australia's Gold Coast to allegedly find a seven-year-old boy driving him home at 3am.

A patrol car stopped the vehicle after it went by without its headlights on early Friday, to find the boy at the wheel and the man in the passenger seat.

"A man has been charged with serious traffic offences after police intercepted a car allegedly being driven by a seven-year-old boy at Surfers Paradise in the early hours of this morning," police said.

The 41-year-old was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and being an adult in charge under the influence of alcohol.

The boy is now in the care of relatives with Queensland state Transport Minister Scott Emerson saying he was stunned.

"I shake my head and am shocked by the madness of this," Mr Emerson told ABC radio.

"I have been out there nearly every day talking about our road toll, that it's too high."

Royal Automobile Club Queensland senior road safety adviser Joel Tucker told reporters it was lucky no one was hurt.

"Children at that age don't have the mental or physical capabilities to drive a car safely," he said.

"It is a real concern to hear that children were being put in that position."