The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is launching a new initiative to get drivers to slow down due to a recent surge in fatal crashes.

Starting in mid- to late March, a task force will be created to enforce road safety tactics weekly.

"Cars are driving too fast, cars are driving way too aggressively," said Sgt. Jonathan Berman.

The prosecutor's office says that in the past five years, 300 people have died on the roadways in Middlesex County. A total of 45 of them happened along Route 1.

There was a recent serious crash on Tuesday night along Route 1 and Wynwood Drive in South Brunswick.

Authorities say eight people were hurt, including two who were seriously injured. There was a fatal crash in January just half a mile away from that one, along Route 1 and New Road.

"Some of the crashes that we've been responding to, people have been going well in excess over the speed limit, I mean 20 miles over," said Erin Campbell, section chief for the Fatal Crash Unit. "They're going to be able to make more stops just because there will be more of them on the road."

Before the end of the month, they'll begin to monitor not only Route 1 but also Routes 9, 27 and 18. The task force, consisting of police officers from throughout the county, will target behaviors that cause the greatest risks to other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists using the roads.

"We're not out just looking for traffic stops, were trying to slow people down, were trying to make a difference and make sure we can reduce the number of fatalities and serious motor vehicle crashes that are occurring in Middlesex County," said Sgt. Berman.