New Gentex Device Handles Toll Road Collections on All U.S. Highways
ZEELAND - Gentex Corp. announced its latest electronic rearview mirrors will automatically record toll collections on all U.S. toll roads.
The Zeeland-based company announced on Monday, Jan. 4, it will team up with Nashville-based TransCore to offer the "Universal Toll Module" (UTM), a vehicle-integrated system that will allow motorists to drive on all U.S. toll roads without requiring a traditional toll tag mounted on the windshield, according to mlive.com.
More than 75 percent of new car registrations are in states with toll roads, the company said in its press release. More than 50 million drivers accessing these roads each year.
With a UTM installed in the rearview mirror, motorists will no longer need multiple toll tags for different regions of the country or have to manage multiple toll accounts, the company said.
"Gentex is always interested in combining new technologies with our auto-dimming mirrors due to the ideal location of our product," said Gentex Senior Vice President and CFO, Steve Downing.
"This strategic partnership with TransCore allows us to develop an all new product offering that helps automakers seamlessly integrate toll collection into the car, just like they've done with navigation systems, HomeLink, satellite radio, and other technologies that debuted in the aftermarket. UTM offers the new car owner the ability to enjoy a hassle-free driving experience using managed lanes and toll roads across the country," Downing said.
The new device complies with a 2012 federal law that calls for the development of a nationally inter-operable electronic toll collection system by October, 2016, the announcement said.
The UTM provides transportation agencies with an inter-operability solution without costly infrastructure changes to the thousands of miles of toll lanes throughout the country, the announcement said.
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