Road safety is a shared responsibility in Squamish, and small moments on our streets and highway can be early warnings about bigger risks. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident, and while details are limited, the report has prompted a fresh round of conversations about how clearly our roads are signed, how we respond when something goes wrong, and what more can be done to prevent high‑consequence mistakes in the first place.
Wrong-way events are uncommon, but they can be among the most dangerous situations on the road because they raise the chance of a head‑on collision. In a community that depends on Highway 99 every day—whether for school, work, deliveries, or recreation—one close call is enough to make people ask if all the pieces are in place: the right signs, visible pavement markings, lighting where it’s needed, and timely reporting when something appears off.
On provincial highways such as the Sea to Sky, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) sets and maintains signage and road markings to provincial standards. The corridor has seen significant safety investments over the past two decades—barriers in key locations, shoulder and centreline rumble strips on many stretches, curve delineation, improved drainage, and wider sightlines in places. Those measures have helped reduce severe collisions, especially in poor weather or at night. Even so, preventing a wrong‑way turn at a ramp or a confusing intersection relies on details being right every day: fresh reflectivity on “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, clear directional arrows on the pavement, and no vegetation or grime blocking what drivers need to see in a split second.
Local geography and conditions add complexity. Rapid transitions from urban streets to highway speeds, multiple access points, heavy recreational traffic on weekends, and frequent rain or low light at dawn and dusk all reduce reaction time. When visibility drops, small gaps in guidance—faded lines, a sign turned by wind, or an unlit area—can matter more. Residents often notice those day‑to‑day issues first, which is why public reporting is an important part of the safety system. MoTI encourages people to flag damaged or obscured signs and worn markings through its regional maintenance contractors or the ministry’s service request channels so crews can address them promptly.
From an enforcement perspective, the RCMP’s priority in a wrong‑way situation is immediate risk to the public. Police advise calling 911 right away with location, direction of travel if known, vehicle description, and any other detail that helps responders find and stop the hazard quickly. If a driver discovers they have turned the wrong way themselves, standard safety guidance is to pull over and stop as soon as it is safe, turn on hazard lights, and call 911 for assistance. Those simple steps keep a preventable error from becoming a tragedy.
Engineering solutions can further reduce the odds of a wrong‑way move. Transportation engineers typically look at a package of measures rather than a single fix: high‑contrast, retroreflective “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs placed where headlights will hit them; oversized, high‑friction pavement arrows that remain visible in rain; red retroreflective sign backers or borders to improve night‑time conspicuity; fresh edgelines and centre lines; and rumble strips that alert drivers if they drift off the intended path. In areas with complex geometry, additional treatments such as supplementary signs at driver eye level, improved lighting, and the removal of visual clutter can make the intended direction more obvious. A site‑specific audit after any reported confusion is a common next step to verify that what’s on paper still works on the ground.
Data also helps target effort where it has the most impact. ICBC publishes collision maps and trend information that local governments and residents can use to understand where and when crashes are happening. While those tools don’t always isolate wrong‑way events on their own, clusters of night‑time or wet‑weather collisions, or repeated near‑miss reports from the public, can signal the need for a closer look at a location. For municipal streets, the District of Squamish collects its own traffic counts and often reviews speed, sightlines, and signage as part of regular maintenance and capital planning. On the highway network, MoTI uses a combination of maintenance inspections, collision data, and field observations to plan upgrades.
Community input is part of that picture. Residents are the first to notice when a sign is twisted, a line has faded, or a hedge has grown into the sightline at a driveway near a ramp. People can report those issues directly to the provincial maintenance contractor for Highway 99 and to the District for municipal roads. If you are unsure who owns a specific sign or segment, the District can point you to the right contact, and DriveBC includes regional contact information for provincial routes. The more precise the report—location, direction, and a photo if safe to capture—the faster crews can respond.
Education remains a simple but effective layer of prevention. For anyone entering or leaving the highway at night or in poor weather, slowing down and taking an extra second to scan for white and yellow lines can help confirm you are on the correct side: in Canada, yellow separates opposing traffic, while white separates lanes moving in the same direction. Pavement arrows at ramp terminals are there for quick reinforcement; if they are hard to see due to wear or water, that is a maintenance cue to report. For visitors unfamiliar with the Sea to Sky, advance planning—knowing your exit name and watching for the second, confirming sign—reduces last‑minute lane changes that can lead to errors.
Local advocates often point to a layered approach: engineering fixes to make the right move the easy move, regular maintenance to keep guidance clear, targeted enforcement to deter dangerous behaviour, and broad public awareness so that everyone knows what to do if something looks wrong. Squamish’s growth and the region’s popularity mean more drivers with varying levels of local knowledge are using the same ramps and intersections. Keeping the system intuitive for first‑time users benefits everyone, including long‑time residents.
Squamish RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure have been asked for comment on the reported wrong‑way incident and whether a site review is planned. If an official assessment proceeds, it typically includes a check of sign placement and visibility, reflectivity testing at night, a pavement marking review, lighting conditions, and any sightline obstructions. Findings from that kind of review often lead to straightforward improvements that can be completed quickly, such as fresh markings, sign relocation, trimming vegetation, or adding an additional sign at driver eye level.
In the meantime, residents who witness a wrong‑way vehicle should call 911 immediately. Non‑urgent road maintenance concerns on Highway 99 can be directed to the provincial maintenance contractor listed through DriveBC, while municipal road issues can be submitted to the District of Squamish through its service request system. Those channels are designed for exactly the kinds of observations that keep small problems from becoming big ones.
Squamish Blog will share updates as soon as official information is available. For broader highway conditions and alerts, DriveBC remains the main provincial source. For local transportation planning and safety initiatives, the District of Squamish provides project updates and contact information on its website. If the ministry confirms a review at the reported location, we will report on the scope and any resulting safety improvements.
Our roads connect every part of daily life here. Ensuring they are as clear and intuitive as possible is ongoing work that combines provincial standards, municipal attention to detail, and the eyes and experience of people who use them every day. This latest report is a reminder that when something feels off on the road, speaking up can help fix it, and that prevention—through design, maintenance, enforcement, and awareness—remains the most reliable way to keep everyone safe on Highway 99 and in neighbourhoods across Squamish.
