A 17-year-old P1 driver has been charged after allegedly driving recklessly with seven passengers in a utility at Helensvale on the Gold Coast, including three people who were unrestrained in the vehicle’s tray. Queensland Police said State Highway Patrol officers observed the Pacific Pines teenager drifting between lanes near Discovery Drive at about 1:45 a.m. before intercepting the vehicle on Ridgevale Drive. A roadside breath test allegedly recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.022 per cent, above the zero-alcohol limit applying to P1 licence holders. The teenager was charged with three counts of carrying passengers in an area of a vehicle not designed for passengers and one count of driving over the no-alcohol limit while holding a P1 licence. Police also issued three traffic infringement notices totalling $966 for exceeding the vehicle’s seating capacity, driving with a modified exhaust system and breaching night-time passenger restrictions for P1 drivers. He is expected to appear in Southport Children’s Court on September 14. Acting Senior Sergeant Beth Fletcher described the alleged conduct as dangerous and warned that impaired and overloaded vehicles leave little margin for error. Post navigation Man Charged Over Beenleigh Death Woman Charged Over Beenleigh Death