According to relevant regulations of the State Council, there are discounts for applying for ETC, and banks handling the application offer greater incentives to promote ETC adoption. Starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC or not using ETC cannot enjoy toll discounts, and manual lanes are less efficient than ETC lanes. ETC charging principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, vehicles can pay tolls without stopping at toll stations. This is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues; Green and eco-friendly: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC more updated, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC," with a specific target of "50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future efforts will promote ETC adoption for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation developments like vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle ahead stops, maintain a distance of over 10 meters to prevent accidental payment for the preceding vehicle due to ETC device failure or absence. The recognized speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. Excessive speed may prevent reading vehicle device information and result in failed deductions. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment/loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service center for inspection. Non-deliberate detachment or loosening only requires reactivation. When using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failure. Follow on-site staff guidance to use manual MTC lanes and pay via cash or card. Excessively thick windshields may cause poor signal reception, especially for vehicles with replaced or modified windshields after accidents.
