BLOOMINGTON - Several local educators aren't jumping on the bandwagon to raise the age for getting a driver's license from 16 to 17 or even 18.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group funded by the auto insurance industry, publicized its efforts to raise the driving age because car crashes remain the leading cause of death among teenagers.

The group presented research to the Governors Highway Safety Association in Scottsdale, Ariz., saying that the bottom line is that "raising the driving age saves lives.''

Some educators believe supporting the state's new, tougher license requirements for new drivers and engaging young people to talk about driving issues with each other are more helpful for reducing accidents.

They want to give the state's new, graduated license system a chance to work.

"Let's try it out for a few years before we make another change," said Don Hahn, interim superintendent of El Paso-Gridley school district.

In the first seven months of 2007, 93 Illinois teens died in car crashes. Since the new law was enacted in January, the number dropped by almost half to 49, said Henry Haupt, spokesman for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

It's not good enough, however, he said. "We're still working hard," he said.

Under the new graduated licensing rules, 16-year-olds must have 50 hours of practice behind the wheel with a parent or guardian.

This fall, all driver education students get a handbook that parents can use in the training process, Haupt said. The 33-page booklet can be picked up at the any driver's license office or printed from cyberdriveillinois.com.

In Bloomington earlier this year, White told students he would try to keep the age at 16 if they do their part by driving safely.

Some educators question whether raising the age by a year would really change much.

Judy Weber-Jones, Gibson City-Melvin Sibley High School driver education instructor, believes a team approach is more effective for producing safer drivers.

One of the best ways is talking to the teens and having them talk to each other as part of a community effort, said Weber-Jones, who was named to the Illinois High School and College Drivers Education Association hall of fame.

She met with officials in Tazewell County after 15 teens died in car accidents in 2005-06. She advocated peer-to-peer messages along with police enforcement, community efforts and parental involvement to curb teen fatality rates.

Weber-Jones' GCMS students previously were recognized nationally for their efforts in telling the teen safe driving message. Her current class also has just been named in the national top 10 of the 2008 Rural Youth Traffic Safety competition.