It’s a bird, it’s a plane… It’s a Mountie, about to bust you for distracted driving

Police across the region are rolling out some new tactics in a bid to bust distracted drivers.

The new techniques come as police launch a province-wide crackdown for distracted driving month. Tough new penalties for distracted drivers also kicked in March 1, with repeat offenders now on the hook for a minimum of $2,000 in fines and penalty points per infraction.

In Coquitlam, RCMP Cpl. Mike McLauchlin says Mounties are taking a bird’s eye view of the roads as they look for people using electronic devices.

“We’ve got an officer in a cherry picker and he can look down in vehicles and pass on that information to other officers we’ve got down the road,” McLauchlin said. “We are also taking advantage of SkyTrain platforms that are throughout Coquitlam, up very high looking down on traffic.”

WATCH: Police crack down on distracted driving

1:46 Police crack down on distracted driving

On the North Shore, police are taking a “don’t say we didn’t warn you” approach.

Police are installing large, electronic message boards in several locations that read: “Police Ahead — Stay Off Your Phone!”

READ MORE: Vancouver cops catch distracted driver twice in 8 minutes, issue $736 in fines

“During the afternoon commute, drivers will be forewarned of police enforcement ahead of them,” said North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong in a statement. “We are giving out this very public warning in the hopes our officers will not catch any violators that day – that may be wishful thinking.”

The North Vancouver RCMP, West Vancouver Police, and the Lower Mainland Traffic Services and Integrated Road Safety Unit will be conducting the distracted driving blitz at the intersections of Capilano Road and Marine Drive in North Vancouver, and Taylor Way and Marine Drive in West Vancouver on Tuesday.

Last week, the province also announced it would be field-testing powerful new scopes to try and catch drivers in the act.

ICBC blames an average of 78 road deaths per year on distracted driving, and says the use of handheld electronic devices is the most common form of distraction.

The increased attention to distracted driving is also a part of ICBC’s attempts to curb massive financial losses linked to an increase in crashes, court costs and financial payouts.