Is ETC only one card per vehicle?
3 Answers
ETC vehicles implement a one-vehicle-one-card-one-OBU policy and cannot be shared; they are exclusively for designated vehicles. According to the 'Rules for the Use of the Non-Stop Rapid Passage System,' when applying for an ETC card, one must fill out the 'ETC Service Deduction Authorization Form.' When specifying the vehicle(s) for payment binding, multiple vehicles can be listed. This means one ETC card can be bound to a maximum of 5 vehicles for payment purposes. ETC is a non-stop electronic toll collection system, also known as an automatic road toll system. It is a road toll method specifically designed for toll roads, commonly seen on highways, toll bridges or tunnels, and certain sections of urban centers to alleviate traffic congestion. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle's on-board electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations, computer networking technology is used for backend settlement with banks. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths, all based on the principle of 'pass first, deduct 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 as vehicles pass toll stations without stopping; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and stops, thus reducing wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle passage efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems more updated, 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 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, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will also be exploration into deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-road coordination, and other smart transportation development directions, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage.
We veteran drivers have all experienced this - ETC devices are strictly bound to one vehicle per card in principle. Last time, my friend removed the ETC from his sedan and installed it on his newly purchased SUV, only to find it showed 'invalid' when entering the highway. At the bank counter, he learned that there's an anti-tamper device behind the small OBU unit - it automatically deactivates once detached from the windshield. The bank staff emphasized that each vehicle must be individually registered with its license and plate information in the system for activation. While some banks now allow multiple ETC devices under one account, each unit must still be permanently installed on a designated vehicle without cross-usage.
From a technical perspective, the ETC system must achieve the trinity of vehicle, card, and device. The RSU equipment at highway toll stations simultaneously scans the OBU serial number and recognizes the license plate. If the vehicle information does not match the records in the toll station database, an alarm will be triggered. When I helped my family apply for an ETC, I specifically inquired that each OBU device writes the vehicle VIN code during activation, and the system automatically links insurance information. Some people remove the device for use on another family vehicle. Although the barrier arm will lift when passing through the toll station, the backend has already flagged it as abnormal. Three consecutive occurrences may result in being added to an inspection list.
