For many of us in Squamish, Highway 99 is part of everyday life — for work, school, errands, and weekend trips up and down the corridor. That’s why even a single report of a wrong-way driver close to home gets people talking. It’s a reminder that road safety isn’t just about the big crashes we hear about; it’s also about the near-misses that prompt us to check if our signs are clear, our driving habits are sharp, and our agencies are aligned on prevention.
A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident in the Squamish area. We’ve asked Squamish RCMP and BC Highway Patrol for details about the location and any follow-up, and will share confirmed information when it’s available. In the meantime, the incident raises a reasonable question for all of us: is there more we can do — as drivers and as a community — to reduce the odds of this kind of risk on our roads?
Highway 99 through Squamish is a provincial corridor managed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI). Municipal streets and neighbourhood connections are the responsibility of the District of Squamish. The two levels of government coordinate on issues that touch both, such as access points to Highway 99, pedestrian connections, and development-driven changes near the highway. On the enforcement side, local RCMP and BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) conduct traffic operations along the Sea to Sky corridor, including targeted campaigns for impaired, distracted, and high-risk driving. If you encounter a wrong-way driver or an immediate hazard, police ask you to call 911 right away with your location, the direction of travel, and a brief vehicle description, once you can do so safely.
Wrong-way events are uncommon, but when they occur, the risk is high. The Sea to Sky has its own challenges: stretches that shift between divided and undivided highway, at-grade intersections in town, heavy tourist traffic at certain times of year, and conditions that change quickly with weather and daylight. At night or in storms, reflective signs and road markings do a lot of the safety work. That’s why keeping those elements clear and visible is so important.
MoTI uses a range of measures on provincial highways to help prevent wrong-way entry and reduce head-on conflicts. These include “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signage at ramps and restricted approaches, directional arrows and lane markings, centreline and shoulder rumble strips on many segments, reflective delineators that indicate direction of travel, and lighting in select locations. Winter tire requirements are in effect on Highway 99 each fall and winter; drivers must carry approved winter tires from October 1 through April 30, which helps with traction and control during colder months. BCHP continues year-round enforcement, and provincial campaigns — such as CounterAttack for impaired driving and seasonal distracted-driving blitzes — support safer behaviour behind the wheel. These are the foundations, and they work best when paired with local knowledge and timely maintenance.
With a recent wrong-way concern top of mind, there are practical steps worth considering in the Squamish area. First, a focused review of signage and line markings at highway access points commonly used by residents — such as the connections near Alice Lake, Mamquam Road, Garibaldi Way, and the Cleveland/Commercial area — could confirm that all “Do Not Enter” and “One Way” messages are easy to see, especially at night and in wet weather. A check of pavement arrows, reflective markers that show red when facing the wrong direction, and lane channelization can catch small issues before they turn into big ones. Ensuring vegetation is cut back from signs and that sign retroreflectivity meets standards can make a noticeable difference. Where lighting is limited, MoTI can assess whether additional lighting or enhanced reflectivity is warranted. If there are transition zones between divided and undivided highway segments, confirming that the centreline treatment and advance signage are consistent can help reduce confusion.
The District of Squamish, for its part, can continue to flag state-of-repair issues and sightline concerns on municipal approaches that feed the highway, and coordinate with MoTI when development changes traffic patterns near access points. The District’s transportation planning work already prioritizes safety on local streets — think traffic calming, crosswalk visibility, and school-area improvements. Bringing that lens to highway-adjacent areas, and sharing local observations with the province, can help target fixes where they’ll matter most.
Residents often ask how to report a location that “just feels confusing.” For immediate hazards, call 911. For non-urgent concerns on Highway 99, you can contact MoTI or the local road maintenance contractor through the ministry’s public reporting channels listed on the provincial website and DriveBC. For municipal roads, contact the District of Squamish’s engineering or bylaw teams through the District’s service request channels. Photos taken safely in daylight can help illustrate what you’re seeing, but avoid stopping in traffic or putting yourself in harm’s way to capture them. When sharing feedback, it’s useful to note the direction of travel, time of day, and weather or lighting conditions — details that help engineers understand what a driver experiences at that spot.
Driver habits also make a difference. Taking a moment to double-check lane arrows, obeying directional signage on divided sections, and avoiding sudden U‑turns or mid-block turns where they aren’t permitted all reduce conflict points. On darker winter evenings, lowering speed to match visibility, keeping windshields and headlights clean, and minimizing in-car distractions improves the chance you’ll catch a sign or marking in time to make the right decision. If you realize you may have entered the wrong side of any divided roadway, the safest action is to stop as soon as you can do so without creating another hazard, turn on your hazard lights, and call 911 for assistance.
Enforcement and education are ongoing pieces of the safety puzzle. BCHP routinely targets excessive speeding on the Sea to Sky, and vehicles can be impounded for going 40 km/h or more over the posted limit. Impaired driving enforcement ramps up during the summer months and the winter holiday season, and distracted driving remains a focus each spring. Locally, there’s room to build on these efforts: public information through community associations, workplaces, and schools; refresher tips for winter driving; and periodic reminders about how to report hazards. These are straightforward actions that keep safety top-of-mind without placing blame on any one group of road users.
Finally, it’s worth acknowledging that a safer highway is usually the product of small, steady improvements rather than a single big fix. A brighter sign here, a refreshed arrow there, a trimmed branch, a rumble strip extended another few metres — these changes add up. If the recent wrong-way incident prompts MoTI, the District, and residents to take another careful look at key access points around town, that’s a constructive outcome.
We’ve requested comment from Squamish RCMP and BC Highway Patrol regarding the report and any associated enforcement or public advisories, as well as from MoTI on whether a signage and marking review is underway locally. We’ll update readers as confirmed information comes in. For current road conditions and provincial contacts, visit DriveBC and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s website. For local concerns on municipal streets, the District of Squamish lists service request options on its website. If you encounter a wrong-way driver or any immediate risk on the road, pull over safely and call 911.
