What does ETC on the highway refer to?
3 Answers
Highway ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) translates to electronic toll collection, which is a non-stop toll collection system. On highways, there will be one or more ETC lanes. ETC charging method: Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle-mounted RFID tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna on the ETC lane of the toll station, using software networking technology to conduct background settlement processing with the bank, thereby achieving the purpose of vehicles passing through bridge and tunnel toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. Banks install this type of ETC express card with a post-payment system. ETC application conditions are as follows: Provide the original and photocopy of the vehicle owner's valid ID card and vehicle license, the photocopy of the driver's license needs to include the page with the most recent annual inspection stamp; Postal credit card application form, this credit card is used to bind the ETC card. After obtaining the credit card, swipe it twice and use the POS slip to collect and install the ETC vehicle-mounted device for free at designated postal outlets, with no fees charged during the process; Be between 18 and 60 years old; Own a vehicle under personal name. Here are the precautions for installing ETC: Do not block the view, it is best to install it behind the rearview mirror: Many car models have a large inclination angle of the windshield, resulting in a smaller driver's field of vision. If this is not considered during ETC installation, it will increase the driver's blind spots. Install it on the right side behind the rearview mirror to avoid blocking the view. Do not affect charging: The ETC electronic tag consumes power, but generally does not need to be charged or have its battery replaced, as there is a solar panel on its back that can charge itself. Therefore, during installation, avoid the black areas on the windshield and do not place it where it may block the solar panel. Once installed, do not remove it casually: The button in the middle of the adhesive is an anti-removal lever, connected to a switch below. After the electronic tag is installed, the windshield will press the anti-removal lever in. If it is removed casually, the lever will pop out and trigger the switch, locking the electronic tag and rendering it unusable, requiring a visit to an ETC service point to unlock it. This is designed to prevent multiple vehicles from sharing one device. Precautions for using ETC: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. To prevent the ETC device of the vehicle in front from malfunctioning, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle in front to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle in front; The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 kilometers per hour. Driving too fast may result in failure to read the vehicle's device information, leading to charging failure; When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause charging failure.
I drive on highways all year round, and the ETC system has been a great help. ETC stands for Electronic Toll Collection system, where a small device is installed in the car to automatically sense and deduct tolls when passing through toll stations. Last time I drove from Shanghai to Nanjing, the manual lanes were jam-packed with long queues, but I just zoomed through the ETC lane and saved over half an hour. This system consists of onboard equipment and toll station antennas, which exchange data via wireless signals to automatically deduct fees. Nowadays, many banks offer free ETC devices—just link a bank card, and you even get a 5% discount on toll fees. I recommend long-distance drivers to install one; it’s incredibly hassle-free.
As a practitioner in the transportation industry, I deal with ETC on a daily basis. Simply put, this system allows vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping, automatically completing the payment. The horizontal bar above the toll station is the core equipment, which uses microwave technology to read the information from the vehicle's OBU tag. The most impressive thing is that it can recognize vehicles traveling at speeds below 30 kilometers per hour and automatically lift the bar to let them pass. Currently, 90% of toll stations have ETC lanes, greatly alleviating congestion during peak hours in the morning and evening. I've seen data showing that ETC vehicles pass through toll stations more than five times faster than those using manual payment, and exhaust emissions are significantly reduced.
