For parents, a child's acquisition of a license can be the beginning of a nightmare. They wake up in a cold sweat, stumbling reluctantly toward the window only to discover that the minivan isn't back in the driveway at 2 a.m.

For teenagers, entrance into the driving culture is a rite of passage. It represents a first step in getting away from the smothering arms of parents. A driver's license sets you free, even if you have to get permission to borrow your parents hopelessly uncool minivan, complete with a restraining seat for little sister in the back.

For parents, a child's acquisition of a license can be the beginning of a nightmare. They wake up in a cold sweat, stumbling reluctantly toward the window only to discover that the minivan isn't back in the driveway at 2 a.m. A question arises: How well was my son or daughter taught to drive and by whom? Getting back to sleep is out of the question. Images of cars wrapped around utility poles and morning paper headlines reading "Three Teens Killed in Car Crash" permeate the night.

For Judy Himel of East Windsor, N.J., this situation is all too familiar. She is the mother of 17-year-old Eric, who got his license in the summer of 1996.

"I wish I could tie him to the bed-post until he is 35," she said. "My heart is in my mouth every time he leaves the house."

Himel has reason to worry. Eric admits to driving at 85 mph on the Garden State Parkway, with only a seat belt shoulder harness for protection.

In 1994, a staggering 5,619 teen-agers died as a result of automobile accidents. This represents a 36 percent decline since 1975, with more males than females accounting for the decline, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatal Accident System.

Still, accident rates for young drivers remains disproportionately high. Overall, driver deaths per 100,000 people account for an average of 16 deaths among 16 to 19-year-olds, compared to only 11 deaths per 100,000 people age 26-29 and 8 deaths per 100,000 people age 30-54. The data also indicates that, among teens, twice as many males than females die each year.

The high number of teens involved in auto crashes is even more noteworthy considering the relatively little time they spend on the roads.

"They think they're invincible," Eric said. "They don't realize that if I take this turn too fast I might screw up."

Another factor contributing to teen accidents is alcohol consumption.

"People around my age and their mid-twenties party a lot more," Eric said.

Young people who drink and drive are involved in fatal crashes at a rate over twice that of drivers age 21 and older, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

However, according to George Black, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the most dangerous drug on the road is testosterone.

"Most at peril are boys," said Black, "presumably because of the aggressiveness associated with the hormone testosterone."

Overall, males account for 67 percent of traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Kids are stupid; they don't believe they are going to die," said an anonymous 18-year-old woman. "They think they can handle alcohol, tiredness, and speed more than the average person."

Legislators in a dozen states have attempted to tame teens by passing graduated licensing bills. New Jersey will be the newest state to join the bandwagon if state Senator Robert W. Singer (R-Lakewood) has his way. Alerted to the problem by the parents of a teenage girl who was killed driving home from the mall in a snowstorm, Singer set out to amend S-439. This bill, introduced in the Senate on January 18, 1996, would require a six-month learning permit and a real road test for all potential drivers.

"The Automobile Club of America, driving schools, Parent Teacher Associations, and the Highway Safety Commission are very excited about S-439 and would like people to work together to formulate an even better piece of legislation," Singer said.

Improved legislation would require drivers under age 18 to take part in a graduated licensing initiative which would involve a phased entry into full driving privileges. The revised bill is still in committee, as of this writing. A graduated licensing bill has already been drafted by the North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. According to that bill, students are required to accrue six months of driving experience with an approved Department of Motor Vehicles supervisor. After an additional six months with a spotless record, the student can obtain a limited driver's license.

NJ Motor Vehicle driver test site on Route 1, Lawrenceville.

The amended New Jersey bill will require that part of the road test be administered on state highways. However, under the proposed law, parallel parking will still be tested on standard courses.

Singer lamented the fact that many school districts have had to cancel driver education programs because of budget cut-backs.

"Behind-the-wheel instruction should be offered in school, so if you can't afford to go to a private driving school, you're not discriminated against," he said.

Singer also stressed the need for students to be made aware of the many unexpected dangers of driving, such as changes in weather conditions and nightblindness.

"The efforts by lawmakers to provide driver education at every school and to combine such education with a graduated licensing system to promote safe driving may be misguided," concluded the De Kalb County project, which evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive driver education program in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

A report prepared by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Ottawa, Canada concludes that "the overwhelming preponderance of evidence fails to show that formally trained students have a lower frequency of crashes than those who do not receive such training." The report even suggests that driver education may have a negative impact on safety because the novice driver becomes overconfident of his skills. There is evidence, however, that nighttime driving training can produce long-term safety benefits among male drivers. Skid training, a feature of advanced training, has proven to be detrimental, according to studies in the United States, Norway, and Finland. The report again suggests that overconfidence in one's skills are the reason for higher crash rates.

If S-439 becomes law, one hopes that it will curb the reckless and careless actions of inexperienced teen drivers who endanger not only themselves, but everyone they encounter on the road.

Eric recalled the exhilaration he felt the first time he could drive alone.

"The first time I drove was the day I got my license; I dropped my mom off and left," Eric said. "I drove about 300 miles that day visiting all my friends."