Finland approves Tesla system for hands-free driving

Finland’s Transport and Communications Agency has approved Tesla’s assisted-driving system for use on Finnish roads, Yle reports. The system can steer and control the car’s speed using cameras without the driver touching the steering wheel or accelerator, but the driver remains responsible for driving.

Tesla can introduce the system in Finland immediately, although approval at EU level is still pending. The agency says Finland is moving ahead partly so Tesla users can become familiar with the system before the most challenging winter conditions.

The agency has warned that snow, slush or dirt covering the cameras, as well as more complex traffic conditions, may limit how the system works. It also says drivers must know how to use it and remain alert. Any speeding fines remain the driver’s responsibility, even if the system controls the speed.

The system’s name has changed from FSD Supervised, previously rendered as “Fully Self-Driving (Supervised),” to Tesla Assisted Driving. The agency says the new name is intended to make clear that the system assists the driver rather than making the car self-driving. Changes have also been made to its operation, including speed control, so drivers can no longer prompt it to maintain an unnecessarily high speed.