4 things to remember when going through the ETC automatic toll lane

To ensure safety and convenience when driving through ETC non-stop toll stations, in addition to checking card accounts, compliance with rules and driving skills are also essential.

From August 1, 2022, all expressways across the country will stop manual toll collection and switch to the use of the ETC non-stop automatic toll collection system. Thus, vehicles wishing to travel on expressways will be required to attach terminal tags, or also known as ETC automatic toll collection tags.

All expressways across the country will switch to using the ETC non-stop automatic toll collection system from the beginning of August 2022.

In addition, with this new form of toll collection, to make driving through the stations easy and safe; drivers also need to pay attention to the following issues:

Make sure you always have enough money in your ETC account

Currently, in Vietnam, there are 2 units providing non-stop toll collection services, including VETC (Etag card) and Vietnam Digital Traffic Joint Stock Company (VDTC) provided by Viettel (ePass card). Customers can choose to use 1 of these 2 types of cards.

However, with both types of cards, users must deposit money into their own accounts to be able to use them, and cannot make payments directly through their bank accounts. Therefore, to ensure compliance with the law and convenience when traveling, drivers should carefully check their accounts and calculate detailed journeys to ensure there is always enough money in their ETC accounts.

It is necessary to check the account in the ETC card to ensure smooth and safe movement through the automatic non-stop toll lane.

It should also be noted that, in the case of a car with an automatic toll collection tag but the amount in the Etag or ePass account is not enough to offset the cost of passing through the ETC station but the car still deliberately enters, the driver will be fined from 1 to 2 million VND, and will also have his/her driver's license revoked for 1 to 3 months.

What to do if the toll collection system fails?

There have been many cases where users have successfully registered for automatic non-stop toll collection and have enough money in their ETC account to pay; but due to problems with the toll collection system or the service provider encountering some problems, toll collectors have to collect tolls manually, requiring drivers to use cash.

In this case, drivers should note that they should not pay cash at stations that have implemented ETC. The reason is that service providers will deduct money offline. That is, deduct money from the Etag or ePass account after the system has returned to normal operation.

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Stay calm in case of ETC card payment error.

In addition, if you encounter a situation where the ETC account notifies that the money has been deducted but the barrier still does not open, and the staff at the toll station does not stop and ask for cash payment, it is best not to rush to give money. Instead, provide a message or notice of the deduction and ask the operator at the station to check, then open the barrier to let the vehicle pass, to avoid being impatient and losing money.

Drive slowly, speed no more than 30 km/h

According to VETC's recommendation, to ensure safety when moving through non-stop toll stations, drivers should only maintain a maximum speed of 30 km/h. In addition, it is advisable to check the brake pedal in advance to prevent the barrier from opening due to technical or payment errors, avoiding unfortunate collisions.

Drive through the toll booth at a speed under 30 km/h and keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Do not follow the car in front

In addition to moving slowly, when passing through the automatic toll booth area, drivers should also pay attention to maintaining a minimum distance of 3 - 5 meters from the vehicle in front. Maintaining distance not only helps to limit collisions in case of sudden braking, but also limits the obstruction of the vehicle recognition system's view.

Because the automatic toll identification card is affixed to the car's headlight or behind the windshield. If you move too close to the car in front, in many cases the toll station's recognition system will not be able to scan the identification card.