Ohio 4-H CARTEENS is a traffic safety program designed for juveniles developed in response to community assessment needs throughout Ohio that identified teen vehicular safety as a priority in Ohio communities.

The “Car” in CARTEENS stands for “Caution and Responsibility,” and “Teens” refers to the teenagers who help prepare and present the program.

This program will be offered in Hocking County as a result of a collaborative effort between OSU Extension-4-H Youth Development, Hocking County Juvenile Court, and local law enforcement and insurance agencies. Our 4-H members help develop and teach this traffic safety program.

CARTEENS sessions is delivered in a two-hour format at the Youth Center six times per year.  Call 385-3222 for a complete list of dates.

Click here for a link to a form that may be helpful to your family:

Family Agreement Between Parent/Guardian and Teen Driver

All teen drivers are encouraged to attend this session for the low cost of $20. 

Why is CARTEENS important?  Consider the following facts about teen driving from the Ohio Department of Public Safety:

*  Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death among American teens

*  Ohio teen drivers were involved in more traffic crashes than any other age group in 2004 – 260 fatal crashes, 27,938 injury traffic crashes, and 69,608 property damage crashes – and 64% of these accidents were caused by driver error

*  Lack of driving experience is the most significant factor in the high number of teen crashes

*  Only 34.7% of the teens killed in Ohio traffic accidents in 2004 were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash

CARTEENS is offered in just over half of Ohio’s 88 counties. In Hocking County, we will offer the two-hour program to first-time juvenile traffic offenders. The program will also be open to any teen driver as preventative education.  Some of the topics covered will include seat belt safety, peer pressure, traffic/road signs, and insurance rates/consequences and will be delivered in an interactive format which will be both educational and enjoyable.