Neighbours in Squamish are talking about road safety again after a local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident on a highway approach near town. While these events are uncommon, they are high risk and can shake confidence for anyone who drives, bikes, or walks along our busy corridor. The discussion now is less about one moment on the road and more about what we, as a community, can do to help prevent the next close call.
Highway 99 through the Sea to Sky is managed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Day-to-day enforcement falls to the Sea to Sky RCMP, with support from provincial traffic units when needed. The District of Squamish looks after local streets and paths, and often advocates for provincial improvements on behalf of residents. That shared responsibility means solutions to rare but serious problems, like wrong-way driving, usually involve more than one agency and benefit from clear, consistent public reporting.
Wrong-way incidents often stem from a mix of factors seen across BC: driver confusion at complex ramps or temporary detours, low visibility after dark or in poor weather, impairment or distraction, and unfamiliarity with the area. The Sea to Sky corridor adds a few local wrinkles—fast-moving traffic, variable weather, and a steady blend of commuters, visitors, work trucks, and transit—each of which can magnify a small mistake into a dangerous situation. These are exactly the conditions that provincial and local agencies have worked to address in recent years through upgrades to signage, median separation, rumble strips, and lighting along key stretches of Highway 99.
While detailed numbers tied to the recent report are not yet available, the safety message remains the same. Police generally advise that if you encounter a vehicle travelling the wrong way, your first priority is to keep yourself and others out of harm’s way. That means slowing down, creating space, and pulling over safely when you can. Call 9-1-1 as soon as it’s safe to do so. Clear information—location and direction of travel, a vehicle description, and any landmarks—can help the RCMP and highway maintenance contractors respond quickly. If the immediate risk has passed, a follow-up to the RCMP non-emergency line can also help with any ongoing inquiries.
The highway around Squamish has seen safety work over the last decade, particularly around intersections and bridges where speeds, curves, and merging traffic overlap. Across BC, standard measures to reduce wrong-way risk include large “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs on off-ramps, red reflective markers visible to drivers travelling the wrong direction, extra pavement arrows, and raised medians or delineators that make it physically harder to turn the wrong way. In some places, lighting is upgraded and sightlines are cleared. These are proven tools that the Ministry deploys where warranted by site conditions, collision histories, and public feedback.
Community observations play an important role in shaping that work. Residents are often the first to notice when a sign is obstructed by vegetation, when lane markings have faded, or when a temporary detour creates a confusing approach, especially at night or in heavy rain. Reporting those details—either to the Ministry’s regional office or through maintenance contractors listed on DriveBC—can lead to quick fixes like trimming, re-marking, or extra temporary signs. Over time, consistent reports can also support a more detailed review of a ramp or intersection design.
Local road-safety advocates point to a handful of practical steps that can help here at home. Drivers can slow a little more on approaches to on- and off-ramps, especially after dark or when rain and glare reduce visibility. When unfamiliar with a ramp layout, using turn signals early and keeping a steady lane position give others helpful cues and reduce last-second merges. Visitors and new drivers in the household can be encouraged to use navigation with lane guidance and to review their route before setting out, which cuts down on confusion at fast-moving junctions. For businesses and organizations that regularly host people from out of town, a simple “how to arrive” note that highlights the correct access ramp can be surprisingly effective.
Seasonal factors matter too. Spring and summer bring more visitors to local parks and trailheads, and shoulder-season storms can change visibility from one bend to the next. Construction can briefly alter traffic patterns, adding detour signs and lane shifts. When those changes are in place, the safest approach is to follow temporary signs and posted flagger directions even if they differ from past habits or what a map app suggests. If something looks unclear, it is reasonable to slow down, allow extra room to merge, and make a second pass around the block rather than committing to a turn you are unsure about.
The RCMP routinely reminds motorists that impairment and distraction are leading contributors to serious collisions in BC. That message is as relevant now as ever in our corridor. Planning a safe ride home, putting the phone out of reach, and giving yourself a little more time can each remove a risk factor when approaching complex highway junctions. Police and provincial partners also run seasonal campaigns on speeding, seatbelts, and impaired and distracted driving. Even if you do not see a checkpoint every day, those efforts underpin enforcement and education throughout the corridor.
At the policy level, residents often ask how and when provincial agencies decide to install new wrong-way countermeasures. The Ministry looks at site-specific information: traffic volumes, geometry, visibility, maintenance conditions, and any collision patterns or verified near-misses. Public input can trigger a review, but changes are typically prioritized across the region. If you have noticed a persistent problem area, sharing specific, repeatable details—time of day, direction of travel, what was confusing—helps engineers assess whether an added measure like larger sign panels, red retroreflectors, or extra pavement arrows is warranted. The District can also pass along coordinated feedback to the Province for locations within municipal boundaries that connect to the highway.
As of publication, official comment from the Sea to Sky RCMP and the Ministry about the reported wrong-way incident is pending. We have requested information on any related file and whether a review of nearby ramps or signage is underway. We will share updates once they are confirmed. In the meantime, if you witnessed the event or have dashcam footage that may assist, you can contact the RCMP through their non-emergency line. For immediate hazards on Highway 99, call 9-1-1. For non-urgent maintenance concerns—like damaged or obscured signs—residents can use the contacts listed on DriveBC to reach the corridor’s maintenance contractor, or submit concerns through the Ministry’s public feedback channels.
Squamish has a strong track record of working through safety questions together—on our trails, at crosswalks, and on the highway. The same approach applies here. Careful driving, timely reporting, and practical improvements go a long way to prevent rare events from becoming tragedies. We will continue to follow this issue and provide factual updates as they become available from the RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. For current highway advisories and contacts, visit DriveBC. For municipal road-safety initiatives and contacts, see the District of Squamish website. If provincial safety enhancements are scheduled for local ramps or intersections, we will share that information once confirmed.
