What is ETC for vehicles?

[SanJake]

ETC is an electronic toll collection system, also known as an automatic road tolling system. It is a road tolling method specifically designed for toll roads, commonly seen on highways, bridges or tunnels with toll policies, and certain sections of city centers, aimed at alleviating urban traffic congestion. According to the State Council's regulations, starting from 2020, vehicles without ETC will not enjoy toll discounts. In the future, only one manual lane will be retained at highway toll stations, and tolls can only be paid through manual lanes. Additionally, newly installed ETC devices cannot be used on highways immediately; they need to be activated first. During free holiday periods, vehicles with ETC can still use highways, and no fees will be deducted when passing through ETC lanes. ETC Deduction Principles: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with banks in the background. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at road or bridge 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 queues. Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by allowing vehicles to pass toll stations without stopping, thus lowering pollution. Cost-saving: Reduces vehicle wear and fuel consumption by minimizing frequent starts and brakes. Users also enjoy a 5% discount on toll fees. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle passing efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC systems more advanced, faster, and high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets a target of "50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development plan. 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 and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC usage. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to prevent automatic sensing from deducting fees for the vehicle in front, especially if it has a faulty or no ETC device. The speed limit for ETC lane recognition is 20 km/h. Excessive speed may prevent the system from reading the vehicle's device information, leading to failed deductions. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will 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 detachment or loosening is not due to human interference, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failures. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pay via cash or card. Thick car windshields may cause poor sensing. This is particularly important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshields.