Can the ETC card be turned off when not in use?
2 Answers
ETC's card can be removed when not in use, but be careful not to remove the card during use, otherwise it will cause the ETC to fail to work properly. Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: Avoid the hassle of queuing up; Green and environmentally friendly: Green and low-carbon, vehicles can pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and pollution; Save wear and tear: Save costs, reduce the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, reduce wear and fuel consumption, and users can also enjoy a 5% discount on tolls; Improve efficiency: The efficiency of ETC lanes can theoretically be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC newer, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. ETC working principle: Through the dedicated short-range communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna on the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to conduct background settlement processing with the bank, so that vehicles can pass through the highway or bridge toll station without stopping, and can pay the highway or bridge toll.
I always use the ETC in my car. When it's not in use, the device itself doesn't need to be manually turned off, as energy-saving considerations were incorporated into its design. After the car is turned off, it automatically enters sleep mode, consuming very little power. As for the card, such as a bank-bound ETC card, it doesn't have an on/off function—it's essentially a storage chip that just needs to be inserted into the device and can't be powered off like an electrical appliance. If I really won't be using it for a long time, like if the car is parked for several months, I'll remove the card for storage to prevent the device's battery from slowly draining and affecting the next startup. If you drive frequently, leaving it as is is the most hassle-free approach, as unnecessary tampering might cause detection failures at highway entrances, wasting time. I drive on highways often and find ETC maintenance simple—just occasionally check that the card is securely inserted. There's really no need to go out of your way to turn anything off. Ultimately, the system is designed for convenience, so trust it to handle things automatically.
