Is ETC Installation Necessary?
3 Answers
Yes, installation is required. Having an ETC without installing it is useless. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC or not using ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will remain at highway toll stations, and toll fees can only be paid through manual lanes. How ETC Works: Through the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield, dedicated short-range communication is established with the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station. Computer networking technology is used for backend settlement processing with banks, allowing vehicles to pass through highway or bridge toll stations without stopping to pay toll fees. Installation Location: For small cars, the ETC is installed in the upper middle part of the front windshield. For large vehicles like trucks and buses, it is installed in the lower middle part. The appropriate installation position should be no lower than 1.2 meters and no higher than 2.5 meters, with an installation angle N between 30 and 90 degrees (the angle between the electronic tag surface and the horizontal plane). For vehicles with anti-explosion film or those that have it installed later, which may affect microwave communication signal transmission, the ETC should be installed in the microwave skylight zone. Installation Notes: Do not obstruct the view, do not interfere with charging, and once installed, do not remove it arbitrarily. ETC Billing Principle: For ETC vehicles, the toll amount is rounded down (i.e., amounts less than 0.5 yuan are discarded, while amounts equal to or greater than 0.5 yuan remain unchanged) and then discounted by 5% before being rounded to the nearest cent. MTC vehicles still follow the "round to the nearest yuan" rule. 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: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and stops, lowering wear and fuel consumption. Improved efficiency: Theoretically, ETC lanes can increase vehicle throughput 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 cards will be interoperable 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, future efforts will include promoting ETC use for trucks and exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage.
I’ve always found installing an ETC incredibly practical, especially for highway driving—it saves both time and effort. As someone who frequently takes long trips, I rarely deal with tollbooth queues anymore; passing through takes just seconds, which is even more noticeable during peak hours. Many places also offer ETC discounts, so using it long-term can save money. The installation cost isn’t high, usually just a few hundred yuan, and the device is durable, requiring little maintenance once installed. The only thing to watch out for is signal coverage—it might occasionally fail in remote areas, but overall, the pros far outweigh the cons. If you drive often, especially for commuting or travel, getting one is absolutely worth it. It makes driving smoother and avoids the hassle of scrambling for cash. In short, modern travel should embrace this kind of convenience. Based on my experience, the sooner you install it, the sooner you benefit.
From my years of driving experience, investing in an ETC is quite worthwhile. There's an initial installation fee and a small deposit, but it pays off in the long run—savings on toll fees and reduced traffic congestion time can all translate into money. For example, before holidays when highways are toll-free, having an ETC not only lets you skip the queues but also saves a lot on fuel. Many experienced drivers around me say it reduces the risk of vehicle damage, like rear-end collisions at toll booths. However, don’t overlook device compatibility; some older car models might need additional adjustments. Financially, if you frequently use highways, the ETC will pay for itself; if you rarely travel, consider the necessity. In short, balancing budget and usage frequency, I’d recommend installing it—it’s an efficient tool after all.
