Safe Operation Guidelines for Electronic Toll Collection Systems: A Case Study in Korea

In this paper, we present safe operation guidelines for electronic toll collection (ETC) systems with both ETC booths and manual toll collection (MTC) booths. The guidelines are based on an analysis of vehicle speeds and trajectories that were obtained with a speed gun and a video recording method at six expressway tollgates in Korea. From the analysis results, two risk factors for the operation of the ETC systems were identified: speed differences between ETC-tagged vehicles and other vehicles with respect to locations, and lane changes as a result of entering the wrong lane. The guidelines suggest a method to calculate the safe distance necessary for lane changing and a lane configuration method to reduce accident risks resulting from speed variance. Although the guidelines are based on a case study in Korea, the approach could be useful for operation agencies of other ETC systems in strategic planning to reduce accident risks.