While the idea of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) seems like a practical one for commuters and travelers, it can create many unforeseen and unnecessary headaches for the average user. In the hands of certain inept state governments, the Electronic Toll Collection systems in various states are incompatible, inconsistent, and higly problematic.
Meant to eliminate traffic and build-ups at toll booths, the Electronic Toll Collection only works when the system works 100% of the time. Which, by the way, is almost never. Once everyone is using Electronic Toll Collection, the lines will simply move from the cash lanes to the Electronic Toll Collection lanes, as there is still a speed limit required for an “accurate reading.
Having worked for an Electronic Toll Collection company, there are some insider secrets you should know before joining the pack.
1. Electronic Toll Collection is Not Always Accurate
The state transportation authorities and manufacturers of the Electronic Toll Collection devices, known as “transponders” would lead the average user to believe that an Electronic Toll Collection system is 100% accurate all of the time. Part of this stems from a need to be profitable, a desire to create positive marketing, and, and from the state government spinning some politics.
The readers at the electronic toll plazas malfunction. The Electronic Toll Collection transponders malfunction. These malfunctions affect the user, who is usually overcharged for a toll.
2. You Could Be Paying for the Car Behind You
With the Electronic Toll Collection, you may not know that if a car, truck or motorcycle is too close behind you that you may end up paying for their toll, too. Even if they have their own transponder, if they are too close, the Electronic Toll Collection system may read your vehicle as a different type of vehicle and charge you an incorrect toll amount.
3. Your Automatic Payment May nNt Go Through On Time
As with any financial institution using automatic payments, they are not perfect. The payment to your automatic Electronic Toll Collection account may be delayed, resulting in a Low Balance or, if you travel a lot each day, an insufficient balance.
4. The Toll Booth Collectors Cannot Help You
The toll booth collectors do not have access to the Electronic Toll Collection System, especially the cash only lanes. They cannot and will not help you with any questions or problems with your Electronic Toll Collection account.
5. They Don’t Care if You Are in the Wrong Lane
The toll booth collectors do not care if you are in the wrong lane, whether its cash or an Electronic Toll Collection lane. There is no “Sympathy Here” sign above their heads.
6. More Than One Transponder in a Vehicle Can Read
If you happen to have more than one transponder in your vehicle, even from more than one Electronic Toll Collection system, they both can read and you will be charged twice. The Electronic Toll Collection system will charge your for will for every transaction until you remove the extra transponder from your vehicle or use a shielding bag.
7. Do not Leave a Transponder in a Vehicle on A Car Carrier
One of the worst things a user of the Electronic Toll Collection system can do is leave a transponder in a vehicle when that vehicle is going on a car transporter. This could happen if you are moving out of state, or are a snowbird and move from the north to the south each year. If you leave the transponder on the transporter, the Electronic Toll Collection will charge you a commercial truck rate for each toll and bridge passed. It can be nearly impossible to recoup that money.
8. You May not be able to Register your Car if you don’t Pay
If you have any type of problem with Electronic Toll Collection violations or using the Electronic Toll Collection system when you have no money in your account, and you don’t pay it off, in some states, it could affect your ability to register your car.
9. An Outside Transponder Will Most Likely Get Damaged
Avoid and outside transponder at any cost. If you vehicle is not compatible with an interior transponder, cancel your Electronic Toll Collection account, or do not use it in that car. When your outside transponder gets damaged by someone backing into it, you have to pay to replace it in order to use your Electronic Toll Collection account.
10. Electronic Toll Collection is a Profit-Based Venture
Do not for one second let yourself think that the Electronic Toll Collection is simply a state’s way of controlling traffic and being nice to its commuting citizens. The equipment at the toll plazas and the transponders in your car are manufactured by profit-seeking businesses. Your state may even be outsourcing maintenance and management of the Electronic Toll Collection system to an outside vendor, which is sometimes the same as the manufacturer.
11. There will never be a national ETC System
Because states that have toll roads run their own toll collection systems (or partially outsource the Electronic Toll Collection portion), there will never be a national Electronic Toll Collection System in the U.S. The states will never give up that right for the convenience of interstate travelers.
12. You May not Know it Stopped Working Until It’s too Late
The transponder in your vehicle, like any other modern-day device has a shelf life. At some point the Electronic Toll Collection transponder will stop working. Unless you stay on top of every single toll charge, and watch for a green light every single time you pass through the tolls, your transponder could stop working without you know it.
While Electronic Toll Collection is a convenient concept, there are a lot of kinks and gaffes in the systems that are kept under wraps.
