Road safety is a shared responsibility in Squamish, and a recent wrong-way driving incident reported by a local resident is a timely reminder to take a closer look at how we design, drive, and communicate on our busiest routes. While these events are uncommon, they carry a high risk of serious harm. For a community that depends on Highway 99 every day—commuters, families, trades, and visitors—this is about more than a single moment on the road. It’s about how we work together to prevent the next close call.
Highway 99 through Squamish is under provincial jurisdiction and managed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI). The corridor carries steady commuter traffic and significant weekend and seasonal volumes, with complex conditions that change quickly—rain, darkness, and glare among them. Interchanges and highway access points are designed and signed to national and provincial standards, but even well-built systems can be vulnerable to human error, fatigue, distraction, and poor visibility. Wrong-way driving is a particularly dangerous outcome of that mix. Even when it does not lead to a collision, the risk to everyone on the road is clear.
MoTI typically uses a combination of measures to prevent wrong-way entries on divided highways and ramps. These include “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signage, reflective delineators and posts, larger or dual-mounted signs at key decision points, high-visibility sign backplates, pavement arrows and “ONLY” markings, rumble strips, and improved lighting where warranted. When concerns are raised, the Province can review a location for sightlines, sign placement and size, clutter from nearby signs, pavement markings, and night-time retroreflectivity. Where data or field checks indicate confusion, additional measures can be added or refreshed—especially after winter wear or construction.
Enforcement and education also matter. Squamish RCMP and RCMP Sea to Sky Traffic Services conduct regular patrols and targeted enforcement on Highway 99, with an ongoing focus on impairment, speed, and distraction—the leading contributors to serious crashes across B.C., according to provincial road-safety agencies. Police guidance is consistent: if you encounter a suspected wrong-way driver, slow down, move as far to the right as safely possible, avoid the passing lane, and call 911 when it’s safe to do so. Do not attempt to intervene or follow. Official comment specific to the latest incident has been requested from the Squamish RCMP; we will share updates when they are available.
While Highway 99 belongs to the Province, the District of Squamish plays an important role in local safety culture. Municipal traffic calming, crosswalk lighting, speed management, and neighbourhood road improvements all support safer habits that carry onto the highway. The District can also elevate community concerns to MoTI when residents identify a problem location near on-ramps or intersections. Residents who notice confusing signs or worn markings near highway access points can report them to MoTI’s 24/7 contact channels, and also use the District’s service request portal for issues on municipal roads. Clear, early reporting helps agencies prioritize maintenance and reviews before small problems become big ones.
Residents who depend on Highway 99 every day often raise practical ideas that align with recognized safety practices. After a wrong-way scare, the most common requests are for simpler, more visible cues at decision points: larger “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs placed lower and closer to drivers’ eye level; pairs of signs on both sides of a ramp; oversized pavement arrows and “ONLY” markings to reinforce the correct movement; refreshed edge lines and reflective markers to guide drivers in rain and at night; and better lighting at the start of ramps where shadows and glare can lead to split-second mistakes. None of these are complicated on their own. Together, they add redundancy—the layered, belt-and-suspenders approach that road-safety professionals recommend to catch errors before they become tragedies.
Safety reviews also look upstream of the wrong-way decision. If a driver is approaching a complicated intersection or frontage road just before the highway, are the lane design and signs reducing last-second choices, or creating them? Are left-turn pockets, guide signs, and street-name signs large enough and early enough? Do temporary construction signs or advertising create visual clutter? Is vegetation blocking sightlines? These are the kinds of practical questions MoTI and maintenance contractors can address through routine audits and seasonal refreshes.
For individual drivers, small habits make a real difference. Planning a route through an unfamiliar interchange before you set out leaves more attention for the road. At night or in heavy rain, reducing speed and using the right lane on divided highways lowers exposure to head-on risk. Rely on road cues—pavement arrows, lane-use signs, and medians—more than on a map app that might lag or prompt a turn at the wrong place. If you miss a turn, continue to a safe location to turn around rather than improvising near a ramp. If something seems off—signage, markings, or lighting—report it. A five-minute call can help prevent the next incident.
Data helps guide the right fixes. Wrong-way events are relatively rare but have a higher likelihood of causing severe outcomes when they do occur, a pattern reflected in broader road-safety research and police experience. That’s why low-cost, visible measures that reduce the odds—like brighter signs, clear arrows, and well-placed rumble strips—are often prioritized. It’s also why enforcement against impairment and distraction remains critical. Although there is no indication at this time of the factors involved in the recent report, provincial campaigns by ICBC, RCMP, and MoTI consistently stress that sober, attentive, and speed-appropriate driving is the foundation of safety on the Sea to Sky.
Squamish residents are engaged and solutions-focused, and that’s our strength. If you have concerns about a specific access point to Highway 99—perhaps an off-ramp that looks like an on-ramp in poor weather, or lane markings that fade too quickly after winter—share a precise location, time of day, and what made it confusing. Clear feedback helps engineers diagnose the problem and choose the right fix. Civic groups and parent councils can also play a role in awareness, reminding families and new drivers about safe highway habits, especially during peak recreation seasons.
We have asked the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure whether a review of highway access signage and markings in the Squamish area is planned in light of the recent report. We have also requested comment from Squamish RCMP regarding any related calls for service or enforcement activity. If a formal review, maintenance refresh, or signage change is scheduled, we will share those details as they are confirmed. In the meantime, residents can monitor DriveBC for incident and construction updates, contact MoTI’s 24/7 service channels to report highway hazards or signage issues, and use the District of Squamish service request portal for concerns on municipal roads.
The takeaway is straightforward: designing for clarity, driving attentively, and communicating quickly when something seems unsafe are three practical steps that keep our community protected. One wrong-way incident is one too many, but it can also be the nudge that brings small, sensible improvements to the places we all drive every day. Squamish Blog will continue to follow this file and share official updates from MoTI and Squamish RCMP as they become available.
