What does ETC vehicle mean?

[LaRafael]

ETC vehicles refer to vehicles equipped with ETC onboard units. ETC stands for Electronic Toll Collection in Chinese, which is currently the most advanced toll collection method for roads and bridges worldwide. It utilizes microwave-dedicated short-range communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations. The fully automatic electronic toll collection system (ETC) is one of the service functions of the intelligent transportation system, particularly suitable for use on highways or busy bridges and tunnels. Currently, there are dedicated ETC toll lanes at highway toll stations. Car owners only need to install a sensor card on the vehicle's front windshield and preload funds. When passing through toll stations, there is no need for manual payment or stopping, as the toll will be automatically deducted from the card, enabling automatic toll collection. This system takes less than two seconds per vehicle, with a toll lane capacity 5 to 10 times that of manual toll lanes. Using the fully automatic electronic toll collection system can lead to paperless and cashless management of highway tolls, fundamentally eliminating the loss of toll revenue and addressing financial management chaos in highway toll collection. Additionally, implementing the fully automatic electronic toll collection system can save on infrastructure and management costs. Documents required for ETC application: The original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (providing the page with the most recent annual inspection stamp). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, a corresponding bank debit or credit card is needed. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a portion of the amount as a deposit when binding with a debit card. ETC deduction principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. By utilizing computer networking technology for background settlement with banks, the system achieves the purpose of toll collection without requiring vehicles to stop at toll stations, all 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 environmentally friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at toll stations, thereby minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC 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 explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation smart cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also set a clear target in the main indicators for comprehensive transportation development during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period: "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 increasing the ETC usage rate 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 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. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a stationary vehicle ahead, to prevent issues with the leading vehicle's ETC device or if it lacks an ETC device, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to avoid automatic sensing and payment for the leading vehicle. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. Speeding may result in failure to read the vehicle's device information and toll deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, detachment, or loosening of the ETC electronic tag can render the tag ineffective. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the highway service office for inspection. If the loosening or detachment is not due to human factors, reactivation may suffice. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance can also lead to toll deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane for passage via cash or card payment. Excessive thickness of the car windshield may cause poor sensing. This is particularly noteworthy for vehicles that have undergone windshield replacement after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshield.