SPRINGFIELD -- The number of Illinois teenagers killed in car crashes has been cut in half over the past two years, according to numbers released Tuesday.

Secretary of State Jesse White announced that in the first 9 months of 2007, 127 teenagers had died in car wrecks. This year, it's been 60.

Tougher standards for new teenage drivers first took hold in 2008. Since then, White said, the drop in deaths has been welcome.

"I am pleased that this law is working as we intended," White said in a statement. "The goal all along was to save lives."

Part of the push for new rules was spurred by a high number of tragic teen deaths in Tazewell County. In a period spanning 2005 and 2006, the county saw 15 teens in 16 months die in crashes.

Under the new rules, teenagers have to spend more time practicing driving. And the number of peers a teen can transport is limited in an effort to curb distractions behind the wheel.

White made the announcement Tuesday for National Teen Driver Safety Week.