It is possible to drive on the highway without ETC. According to the regulations of the State Council, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and tolls must be paid through the manual lane. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used immediately on the highway; they need to be activated first. During free holiday periods, vehicles can still use the highway. For users who have already installed ETC, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Billing Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Using microwave dedicated short-range communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, the system performs background settlement with banks via computer networking technology. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at the toll station, all 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: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles do not need to stop at toll stations. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing vehicle starts and brakes, reducing wear and fuel consumption. Users can also enjoy varying degrees of toll discounts. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes theoretically increase vehicle throughput efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, intercity transportation smart cards will be widely implemented in key city clusters, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." It also set a target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles should reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, the future will also promote ETC usage for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-road coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage.
