Road safety is a shared concern in Squamish, whether we are commuting on Highway 99, walking our kids to school, or navigating the growing Oceanfront neighbourhood. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident, and while details are limited, the report has prompted renewed discussion about how our community can reduce risk and respond when something goes wrong.
Wrong-way driving events are uncommon, but they are high-consequence. When they do occur, people in the oncoming path have very little time to react. Squamish RCMP has been asked for comment on the recent report and on any related calls received in the past year. We will share updates when they are available. In general, police guidance in B.C. is to call 911 if you encounter an immediate hazard such as a wrong-way vehicle, and to provide as much clear, current location information as possible while prioritizing your own safety.
The incident arrives at a time when the District of Squamish is making visible changes intended to calm speeds where people live, work, and gather. Effective February 17, 2026, all streets in Downtown Squamish and the Oceanfront will move to a posted speed limit of 30 km/h, with new signage installed across both areas. The District says the decision follows ICBC data and community feedback collected in 2023 and 2024. A summer 2024 survey showed strong support for lower speeds downtown and at the Oceanfront, and about one in five locations of concern identified by residents fell within those neighbourhoods that are now moving to 30 km/h.
Local collision data underscores why this matters. According to ICBC, 27 per cent of all reported collisions in Squamish between 2020 and 2024 occurred in the areas now slated for the lower limit. At the provincial level, ICBC attributes nearly 30 per cent of traffic-related fatalities over the past decade to speeding. National road-safety research is clear about the relationship between impact speed and injury risk: when a pedestrian is struck at 50 km/h, the chance of severe injury or death is about 50 per cent; that risk drops to roughly 30 per cent at 40 km/h and to about 15 per cent at 30 km/h. Slower speeds don’t just reduce the likelihood of a crash; they also make mistakes more survivable.
The District’s approach aligns with broader transportation goals. The 2025 Transportation Master Plan prioritizes safe, sustainable, and reliable travel options, and emphasizes neighbourhood connectivity and community vibrancy. Downtown Squamish and the Oceanfront are mixed-use areas with significant pedestrian and cycling activity; posted speed limits that reflect how these streets function can help drivers anticipate crosswalks, turning vehicles, and loading zones, and can make it easier for people of all ages to choose walking, biking, or micromobility for short trips.
Highway 99 presents a different set of questions. Designed and managed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Sea to Sky is a high-speed corridor that carries commuter, commercial, and visitor traffic through changing weather, grades, and curves. Any wrong-way movement on a high-speed roadway demands rapid response and clear wayfinding. Provincial traffic engineering standards call for tools such as directional arrows on pavement, prominent “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs at off-ramps, and high-visibility markings to reduce driver error, especially in low light or adverse weather. We have asked the Ministry whether any signage reviews, pavement marking refreshes, or additional countermeasures are planned or underway at Squamish-area interchanges; we will report back when a response is provided.
Enforcement and education also play a role. As lower limits take effect downtown and at the Oceanfront, residents often ask whether drivers will actually slow down. Police presence can help, but compliance tends to be strongest when the street design, signs, and markings all reinforce the expected behaviour. The new 30 km/h signs will be most effective when paired with clear crossings, legible lane markings, curb extensions where appropriate, and signal timing that gives people on foot a head start. These are well-established tools that municipalities across B.C. use to support safer speeds.
For residents, early feedback is valuable. If you notice a damaged or obscured traffic sign, missing pavement arrows, or a visibility issue near an intersection or ramp, reporting it promptly helps the responsible agency address it before it contributes to confusion. Highway issues can be flagged to the Ministry and its maintenance contractor through DriveBC channels, and local street concerns can be reported directly to the District of Squamish. A few photos and a precise location description can speed up the fix.
The wrong-way incident also highlights how quickly conditions can change for drivers unfamiliar with the area. Growth in and around the Oceanfront means new streets, turn options, and lane markings. Clear, consistent wayfinding helps everyone—visitors, delivery drivers, and long-time locals—make the right choice the first time. That includes advance notice before an off-ramp, prominent lane-use arrows, and nighttime visibility improvements. Where GPS directions and on-the-ground signage appear to conflict, most drivers follow the road in front of them; that’s why the physical environment needs to be unambiguous.
Community discussions about safety often come down to culture as much as to engineering. Slowing down a little, scanning for signs sooner, and giving wider berth to people on foot or bike can make an immediate difference while longer-term fixes are designed and built. In neighbourhoods shifting to 30 km/h, those habits—rolling off the throttle earlier, anticipating stops, and yielding decisively at crosswalks—help set the tone for everyone else. On Highway 99, that same care translates to leaving space, staying alert for unusual movements, and calling 911 right away if you encounter a vehicle travelling the wrong direction.
Finally, data-driven decision-making will remain important. ICBC’s collision mapping tools help identify patterns, while District and provincial traffic counts, travel-time studies, and near-miss observations can refine what gets built where. If the new 30 km/h zones reduce conflicts downtown and at the Oceanfront, that’s useful evidence for future phases. If certain ramps consistently generate calls for assistance or confusion, that points highway engineers to the next priority.
Squamish Blog will continue to follow this story. We have requested comment from Squamish RCMP on the recent wrong-way report and from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding any planned signage or marking reviews at local interchanges. For ongoing updates on local speed-limit changes, residents can refer to District of Squamish channels, including the Let’s Talk Squamish page on speed limits. ICBC’s public crash maps provide additional context on where collisions are happening and how trends evolve over time. We will share new information as it is confirmed by authorities.
In the meantime, the message is straightforward: slower where people are, clearer where speeds are higher, and quick reporting when something seems off. Those steps, taken together, help us keep each other safe on our streets and along the Sea to Sky.
