Learn in the textbookSystems for Finance and Social Infrastructure
DefinitionETC (Electronic Toll Collection, 電子料金収受システム) lets a car pay tolls on toll roads without stopping, through radio communication between an on-board unit and the toll gate's antenna.
ExplanationWith an IC card inserted in the on-board unit, entry and exit data and the toll are exchanged as the car passes the gate, and the toll is billed later as a card charge. No one has to stop and hand over cash, so queues at toll gates shrink and the staff's workload drops.
AnalogyIt is like tapping a transit card at a station gate without opening your wallet, except the whole car is the card. The radio method differs from a tap card, though: the car talks to an antenna some distance away while moving.
Memory hookShort for Electronic Toll Collection; a toll is a road fee, so the name means collecting road fees electronically.