Do I need ETC if I don't often drive on highways?
2 Answers
Applying for and installing ETC is necessary. According to the State Council's regulations, vehicles without ETC in 2020 will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, highway toll stations will retain only one manual lane, requiring payment through manual channels. Additionally, newly installed ETC cannot be used on highways immediately; the ETC device must be activated first. During free holiday periods, highways can still be used, and for users with ETC installed, passing through ETC lanes will not incur charges. ETC Deduction Principles: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated microwave short-range communication between the vehicle's electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at toll stations is achieved. All 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 line; Green and eco-friendly: Green and low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions, and minimizing pollution; Reduced wear: Saves costs, decreases the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of passing through ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates faster and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles with ETC installed and used will significantly increase." It also explicitly set the goal in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators that "by 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate for passenger vehicles, future efforts will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications.
I used to drive a city commuter car and rarely took the highway, so I thought ETC was unnecessary. But last time when I had to leave the city unexpectedly, I got stuck in a long queue at the toll station and waited anxiously for over 20 minutes. After installing ETC, I found it saves both time and hassle: just drive through the toll gate with a quick flash of the light, doubling the efficiency. Even occasional highway trips become smoother without the queue. Many places even offer promotions, with banks giving away the device for free. After installation, I also discovered that some shopping malls' automatic payment systems support ETC, making it even more convenient than opening a mobile payment app. Overall, even if you don’t drive much on highways, installing ETC is still worthwhile to avoid last-minute chaos. With low costs and quick installation, it’s definitely worth a try.
