Many of us drive Highway 99 every day, and most trips are routine. But it only takes one unexpected moment to remind us how quickly things can change on a high-speed corridor. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident in the Squamish area. While details are still being confirmed by authorities, the report has renewed community conversations about how we stay safe on the Sea to Sky and what else can be done to prevent rare but high-risk events.
Wrong-way incidents are uncommon, yet they can lead to serious outcomes because they often involve head-on conflict at highway speeds. The question for our town is straightforward: how do we reduce the chance of a wrong-way entry in the first place, and what helps drivers respond safely if they encounter one?
First, some context about how the Province designs for this risk. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) uses a combination of “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, directional arrows, edge lines, and other pavement markings to guide drivers at interchanges, access points and one-way connections. These measures follow provincial traffic-control standards and are supported by lighting, reflective markers and rumble strips in many locations. On Highway 99 through the Sea to Sky, a broad package of upgrades dating back to the 2010 Winter Games improved alignment, sightlines, barriers, signage, and passing opportunities. Ongoing maintenance programs refresh paint lines, replace damaged signs, and trim roadside vegetation to keep sightlines clear.
The reality on a mixed-use, mountain highway, however, is that conditions change. Rain, darkness and glare can limit visibility, especially in fall and winter when days are shorter and pavement stays wet. Drivers who are tired, distracted, unfamiliar with the area, or following outdated navigation prompts can miss cues. Local traffic interacts with visitors, commercial vehicles and commuters. These are not excuses—just reminders that engineering can never be the only answer. Design, operations, enforcement and driver behaviour all matter.
Local police and road-safety agencies consistently emphasize a few key points. If you believe a vehicle is travelling the wrong way toward you, slow down, move right, create space and call 911 when it’s safe to do so. Do not attempt to stop or intercept the driver yourself. If you ever find yourself uncertain at an on-ramp or access point, pause, check the signs and arrows, and if you realize you’ve made a mistake, do not back up on the highway—continue to a safe place and re-route. These are common-sense steps that align with RCMP and provincial road-safety guidance.
Enforcement and awareness also play a role. Squamish RCMP and the B.C. Highway Patrol run ongoing campaigns on impaired, distracted and aggressive driving, including CounterAttack checks throughout the holiday season. ICBC and provincial partners support seasonal awareness efforts, such as Shift into Winter, to encourage safer decisions in poor weather. While these initiatives target broader risks, they also reduce the types of behaviours that can feed into wrong-way errors.
This recent local report has prompted a practical set of questions from residents: Are highway access points around town as clear as they could be at night and in heavy rain? Do pavement arrows and edge lines need freshening sooner in certain locations? Would additional or oversized “Wrong Way/Do Not Enter” signs help at particular approaches? Are there places where lighting, reflective markers or rumble strips could add another layer of protection?
Those are reasonable questions to put to the agencies responsible for Highway 99. The highway is a provincial route, so MoTI leads engineering and maintenance, supported by the highway maintenance contractor. The District of Squamish can share local observations and advocate for improvements, and residents can help by reporting specific maintenance concerns—such as a downed sign or faded paint—through MoTI’s channels or the contractor’s 24/7 phone number listed on roadside service signs and the ministry’s website. If the community sees patterns at certain access points, it’s helpful to document dates, times, and conditions. That kind of detail allows engineers to pinpoint whether measures like larger signage, additional arrows, refreshed markings or vegetation management could meaningfully reduce risk.
It’s also worth remembering that good habits at the wheel are part of prevention. Slow down for weather and darkness. Keep your windshield clear to cut glare. Make sure lights and wipers are in good shape. If you’re using navigation, rely on the road’s signs and markings first—especially where construction or maintenance may temporarily change traffic flow. And if a turn doesn’t look or feel right, do a second check before committing. These simple steps reduce the odds of confusion, particularly for visitors or anyone driving an unfamiliar route at night.
This conversation lands as winter driving requirements are in place on Highway 99. MoTI sets seasonal tire rules for the Sea to Sky; drivers should check the ministry’s website for the current dates and conditions. While winter tires don’t prevent a wrong-way entry, they do improve control and stopping distance in cold, wet or snowy weather—another piece of the overall safety picture.
We’ve asked the Squamish RCMP detachment and B.C. Highway Patrol whether a wrong-way report was logged in the past few days and, if so, whether any investigation is underway. We’ve also requested information from MoTI on whether any signage or pavement-marking reviews are planned for highway access points in and around Squamish. If officials confirm details or announce changes, we will share those updates.
In the meantime, the takeaway is community-level, not sensational. Wrong-way driving events on Highway 99 remain rare, and the corridor already includes multiple layers of engineering and enforcement. Even so, the recent local experience is a timely nudge to double-check the basics—clear signs and markings, good night-time visibility, and driver habits matched to the season. If small adjustments can make a confusing approach more obvious in heavy rain, or refresh paint where it wears fast, that’s worth pursuing.
Residents with specific concerns can report highway maintenance issues through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s website or by contacting the highway maintenance contractor listed for our service area. For enforcement and road-safety information, visit the Squamish RCMP and B.C. Highway Patrol pages. For travel conditions, check DriveBC before you go. We will update readers as soon as the RCMP or MoTI provide confirmed details. The Ministry of Transportation has been asked to review the area for safety improvements.
