The use of Tesla's Assisted Driving system is now permitted on Finnish roads, making the vehicles practically self-driving. File photo. Image: AOPTesla drivers in Finland will be permitted to operate their vehicles without touching the steering wheel, after the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom approved the use of the carmaker's Assisted Driving system. The system makes the Tesla model practically self-driving, as the car can move using its cameras — without the driver needing to touch the steering wheel or press the accelerator. In a statement, Traficom said Tesla can introduce the system in Finland immediately, even though approval at the EU level is still pending. The statement added that Finnish authorities are moving faster than the EU on this issue because, although a bloc-wide acceptance is expected, Finland's earlier approval gives Tesla drivers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the system before the most challenging winter conditions arrive."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," Traficom's Senior Specialist Jukka Juhola said. Name changeTraficom further noted that Tesla's system was previously known as Full Self-Driving (FSD) but was changed to the current 'Tesla Assisted Driving' (TAD) to clarify that the car is not fully self-driving."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," Juhola explained. Other changes to the system include the Tesla's speed control settings. In future, drivers will no longer be able to encourage the system to continuously maintain an unnecessarily high speed. Drivers still liable for finesDespite the introduction of the new system, Traficom emphasised that the responsibility for driving always lies with the driver — even when using TAD."The driver is still driving the car even if they are not physically touching its controls. They must therefore know how to use the system and remain appropriately alert while performing the driving task," Juhola said. This means the driver is liable to pay any speeding fines, even if the system controlled the speed. Yle News jumped aboard a self-driving, fee-charging bus in Tampere.