The girl's erratic driving of a Ford Falcon in Forbury Rd about 9pm caught the attention of a policeman in a patrol car, Senior Sergeant Dave Scott said.
The owner of the car, an unrelated 52-year-old Dunedin man in the front passenger seat, tried to justify allowing the girl to drive by saying he learnt to drive in similar circumstances, Snr Sgt Scott said.
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Police issued the man with an infringement notice for aiding and abetting an unlicensed driver. The penalty for such an offence is a $400 fine.
The circumstances were ''so unusual'' the officer was unsure what the man could be charged with and police were investigating whether other charges would follow, Snr Sgt Scott said.
The man was lucky the outcome was not worse, as the road was wet, the light was fading and the car's headlights were off.
''A 10-year-old child driving a Ford Falcon, or any car for that matter, is fraught with danger and it borderlines ridiculous,'' Snr Sgt Scott said.
The man was not intoxicated. Another 10-year-old girl was in a back passenger seat. Both girls were returned to their families by police, he said.
The erratic driving was also reported by members of the public and their help was appreciated, Snr Sgt Scott said.
The quick actions of the police officer and the reports from the public had meant the girl had not travelled far.
