Many of us rely on Highway 99 every day, whether for school drop-offs, commuting to Vancouver, or weekend trips to the mountains. When something goes wrong on that corridor, it’s not just a traffic story—it’s a community safety issue. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident in the Sea to Sky area, an unnerving reminder that one moment of confusion or distraction on a high-speed route can put people at serious risk. It’s also a cue for all of us—drivers, families, and local agencies—to look again at how we prevent mistakes and respond quickly when they happen.
Wrong-way driving is uncommon, but it is high-consequence. It’s most often linked to confusion at interchanges, poor visibility at night or in bad weather, or simple inattention. On a fast-moving highway like 99, even a brief error can create a dangerous situation. While details of the recent local experience are still being confirmed, the incident raises fair questions that residents have asked before: Are signs and markings as clear and visible as they could be? Are ramps intuitive for drivers unfamiliar with the corridor? And how do we make sure reports get to the right people fast enough to prevent a near-miss from becoming a collision?
In the Sea to Sky, road safety is a shared effort. The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) plans, builds, and maintains provincial highways, including Highway 99. Local RCMP detachments and the provincial Integrated Road Safety Unit conduct enforcement and respond to dangerous driving. The District of Squamish manages municipal streets and local traffic calming, while also coordinating with the Province on regional concerns. Each plays a distinct role, and incidents like this one often prompt cross-agency conversations about targeted improvements.
The Sea to Sky Highway saw large-scale upgrades ahead of the 2010 Winter Games. According to the Ministry, work along the corridor included wider shoulders, straighter alignments in select sections, improved lighting in key locations, and safety features such as rumble strips and barriers where warranted. North of Squamish, a variable speed limit system operates to reduce speeds during poor weather and changing road conditions—an approach intended to lower serious-crash risk when visibility and traction deteriorate. These upgrades have helped, but Highway 99 remains a complex, high-demand mountain route used daily by residents, trades, freight, and visitors.
Wrong-way prevention draws on that same “Safe System” thinking used across BC: clear and consistent signs, legible pavement markings, lighting where appropriate, intuitive ramp geometry, and enforcement and education to support safe decisions. The Ministry’s standards call for “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signage at off-ramps, supplemented by pavement arrows and reflectors that reinforce intended travel direction. Where complaints or collision patterns emerge, transportation engineers typically review the site and can adjust sign size or placement, add secondary signs or enhanced reflectivity, refresh paint, or look at how channelization and island designs guide vehicles. These are practical, proven tools that can be tailored to specific ramps or intersections.
Enforcement remains another pillar. Local RCMP and provincial traffic units regularly target high-risk behaviours on Highway 99, including impaired driving, excessive speed, and distracted driving. Seasonal initiatives—like CounterAttack in summer and winter—are well established across the province and run throughout the Sea to Sky as resources allow. While wrong-way driving is not always tied to impairment, deterring impaired and distracted driving reduces the odds of serious errors on any roadway. In the months ahead, as spring and summer bring more visitors to the corridor, sustained enforcement and visible patrols can help keep attention on the basics: follow signs, slow down for conditions, and never drive under the influence.
Community reporting is also critical. If you encounter a wrong-way driver or any immediate life-safety hazard, call 911. For non-emergency follow-up, residents can contact the Squamish RCMP detachment’s non-emergency line to share details that may help with pattern analysis or further investigation. For roadway issues—such as damaged, obscured, or confusing signs—MOTI maintains 24/7 reporting through its highway maintenance partners and the Province’s online “report a problem” channels linked from DriveBC. Timely, specific reports can prompt a site check and, when warranted, an engineering review.
Closer to home, the District of Squamish continues to work on neighbourhood road safety through speed management, street design, and pedestrian and cycling upgrades within town boundaries. While those projects don’t change the provincial highway directly, they reinforce safer travel habits and reduce conflict on local streets that feed into Highway 99. District staff also liaise with MOTI on issues that cross the municipal–provincial line, such as intersection operations, trail crossings, and emerging development impacts near the highway.
Education remains a place where the community can lead. Many of us host visiting family, welcome new neighbours, or commute with colleagues who might be newer to the corridor. Sharing a few reminders goes a long way: pay attention to directional signs on and off the highway; avoid last-second turns across traffic; use designated exits rather than mid-block U-turns; and if you miss your ramp, continue to the next safe exit rather than reversing or cutting across lanes. After dark or in rain and snow, slow down and scan for “Do Not Enter” or “Wrong Way” signs before turning onto any ramp or side road. These are simple habits, but they make a real difference on a route that can be unforgiving of mistakes.
Looking ahead, there are practical next steps. We have asked the Squamish RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure whether any review is planned in connection with the recent wrong-way experience, and whether additional signage, markings, or lighting changes are under consideration at specific locations. If the Province confirms a site review, we will share that update, along with any opportunities for public input. Residents who’ve noticed recurring confusion at a particular ramp or intersection can also provide direct feedback to MOTI with dates, times, and conditions; those details help engineers pinpoint issues that may not show clearly in collision data.
If a broader pattern of wrong-way entries emerges, the Province has several options that have been used elsewhere in BC and across Canada, from higher-visibility “Wrong Way” treatments to enhanced delineation on ramps, supplementary pavement arrows, and adjustments to ramp channelization that reduce the chances of an unintended left turn. These are not dramatic changes, but thoughtfully combining them in the right places can cut down on the rare errors that matter most.
Highway safety isn’t only about major construction projects. It’s also about small, steady improvements, consistent enforcement, and a community that looks out for one another. The recent wrong-way experience is a reminder to slow down, check the signs, and report what you see—so that concerns reach the right hands and fixes, if needed, follow. We will continue to follow up with the Squamish RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. In the meantime, residents can watch DriveBC for current road conditions and closures, contact RCMP for enforcement concerns, and use the Province’s reporting channels to flag maintenance or signage issues. As more information becomes available, we will share confirmed updates on any safety reviews or changes under consideration.
Editor’s note: Official comment from the Squamish RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is pending. We will update this story as soon as responses are received. For immediate hazards on Highway 99, call 911. For road conditions and provincial notices, visit DriveBC. For highway maintenance or signage concerns, use the Ministry’s report-a-problem channels linked from DriveBC. If a formal review is initiated, the Ministry will provide details on any safety improvements planned for the area.
