Can I drive on the highway without installing ETC?
2 Answers
You can drive on the highway without installing ETC by obtaining a toll card at the manual toll booth at the entrance and stopping to pay at the manual toll booth at the exit. The working principle of ETC is: through dedicated short-range communication between the ETC electronic tag installed on the vehicle and the ETC microwave antenna at the toll station, using computer networking technology to conduct background settlement processing with the bank, enabling vehicles to pay highway or bridge tolls without stopping when passing through highway or bridge toll stations. Precautions for installing ETC include: 1. Avoid obstructing the line of sight; 2. Avoid affecting device charging; 3. Avoid disassembling it arbitrarily.
You can still drive on the highway even without an ETC device. I often drive long distances, and there are multiple lanes at highway entrances: ETC-only lanes and manual toll lanes. If you don’t have ETC, just take the manual toll lane, stop, and pay the toll with cash, WeChat, or Alipay. Remember to prepare change or link your payment app in advance to save time at the window. ETC is indeed super convenient—once activated, it automatically deducts fees for instant passage, especially helpful during peak holiday traffic to avoid queues. But don’t worry, I have friends who travel weekly for work without ETC—they just spend a little extra time paying fees. Currently, ETC promotion is strong, with many provinces offering installation subsidies or discounts, so I recommend considering it for long-term savings. Safety first on the highway—just follow the signs when choosing lanes without disrupting normal driving.
