What is the ETC system for highway tolls?

[McRose]

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. The ETC toll collection 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 at the toll station, the system uses internet technology to conduct background settlement processing with the bank, thereby achieving the purpose of vehicles passing through bridge toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. Banks install this type of ETC express card with a post-payment method. The conditions for applying for ETC are as follows: Provide the original and photocopy of the vehicle owner's valid ID card and vehicle registration certificate. The photocopy of the driver's license must include the page with the most recent annual inspection stamp. Fill out a postal credit card application form. This credit card will be used to bind the ETC card. After receiving the credit card, swipe it twice and use the POS receipt to collect the ETC vehicle-mounted device for free at the designated postal outlet. No fees will be charged during this process. Be between 18 and 60 years old. Own a vehicle under your personal name. Here are the precautions for installing ETC: Do not obstruct the view. It is best to install it behind the rearview mirror: Many car models have a large inclination angle for the windshield, which reduces the 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 obstructing the view. Do not affect charging: The ETC electronic tag consumes power, but generally does not require charging or battery replacement because it has a solar panel on the back that can charge itself. Therefore, during installation, avoid the black areas on the windshield and do not place it where the solar panel might be blocked. Do not remove it arbitrarily once installed: The button in the middle of the adhesive is an anti-tamper lever connected to a switch. After the electronic tag is installed, the windshield will press the anti-tamper lever in. If it is removed arbitrarily, the lever will pop out and trigger the switch, locking the electronic tag and rendering it unusable. You will then need to go to an ETC service point to unlock it. This is designed to prevent multiple vehicles from sharing one device. When using ETC, note the following: The ETC transaction sensing range 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 ETC lane recognition speed is 20 kilometers per hour. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, resulting in failed toll deduction. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause toll deduction to fail.

[AryaLee]

The full name of the high-speed toll ETC system is Electronic Toll Collection, which sounds quite advanced but is actually very practical. It works by enabling communication between a small onboard unit (OBU) installed in the vehicle and the toll station's antenna to complete the toll payment. When passing through a dedicated lane, vehicles can be automatically charged without stopping. As someone who is usually very interested in technical details, I found that this primarily utilizes RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. When the OBU approaches, the toll station quickly reads the vehicle information, links the account, and completes the transaction. Behind the system, there are databases managing vehicles, processing payments, and preventing fraud, among other functions. Most common vehicle types are compatible, but during installation, it's important to ensure the device is properly positioned and the battery is sufficiently charged; otherwise, poor signal detection may occur. Overall, ETC significantly improves traffic efficiency, avoiding the long queues associated with traditional manual toll collection. After nationwide networking, a single card can be used on all highways, making it both safe and efficient—worthy of installation on every vehicle.