Tesla’s Assisted Driving system is now permitted on Finnish roads following approval from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), allowing drivers to use the technology without physically holding the steering wheel. However, the approval does not make Tesla vehicles fully self-driving, and motorists must remain alert and responsible for the vehicle at all times.
The decision allows Tesla to introduce its Assisted Driving system in Finland immediately, even as approval at the European Union level remains pending. It gives Finnish Tesla owners access to the technology ahead of an expected wider European rollout.
The system, which was previously marketed under the name Full Self-Driving (FSD), uses the vehicle’s cameras to assist with driving. It can control functions such as steering and acceleration, allowing the car to move without the driver continuously touching the steering wheel or accelerator.
Traficom said Finland’s approval comes ahead of expected EU-wide acceptance. The early introduction also gives drivers an opportunity to become familiar with the technology before the country’s more demanding winter driving conditions arrive.
However, the agency has warned that Finnish weather could affect how well the system operates. Snow, slush and dirt covering the vehicle’s cameras may limit their ability to detect the road and surrounding traffic. The system may also face restrictions when driving conditions become more challenging than usual.
“The system’s design and approval assessment have taken winter conditions into account, but its operation may be subject to various limitations if the cameras become covered in snow, slush or other dirt, or if traffic conditions become more challenging than usual,” said Jukka Juhola, a senior specialist at Traficom.
The approval also comes with a change in the system’s name. Tesla’s technology, previously known as Full Self-Driving, is now called Tesla Assisted Driving (TAD). The change is intended to make it clearer to drivers that the technology provides driving assistance rather than taking full responsibility for operating the vehicle.
Juhola said the revised name reflects the distinction between driver assistance technology and genuinely autonomous vehicles, where responsibility for driving would eventually shift away from the person inside the car.
“The name change helps users and the market understand the true nature of the system. The new name also takes future developments into account, as genuinely self-driving cars, where responsibility for driving shifts away from the driver, will become available alongside driver assistance systems,” he explained.
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Other changes concern how the system manages vehicle speed. Under the updated settings, drivers will no longer be able to encourage the system to maintain unnecessarily high speeds continuously.
Despite the approval, Traficom has made clear that drivers cannot hand over responsibility for their journeys to the technology. Anyone using Tesla Assisted Driving must understand how the system works, monitor the vehicle’s behaviour and remain ready to take control when necessary.
This also means that drivers remain legally responsible for traffic violations committed while the system is active. If a Tesla exceeds the speed limit under Assisted Driving, the person behind the wheel remains liable for any resulting speeding fine.
The approval therefore represents a change in how Tesla drivers can use driving assistance technology in Finland, not permission to travel without supervising the vehicle. Even when the car handles steering and acceleration, the driver remains responsible for what happens on the road.
