Video: Finland's delivery robots roll with the rules, too
Robot couriers are becoming an increasingly common sight on Finnish streets, prompting new questions about safety, traffic rules and responsibility.
Finland's traffic watchdog, Traficom, reports that over 1,000 light automated delivery vehicles are currently operating in the country's cities, with this number set to increase as Uber Eats expands its fleet across the nation. These robots, capable of reaching speeds up to 15 km/h, are allowed to travel on pedestrian areas under a special exemption.
Despite not being classified as regular vehicles, they must adhere to traffic rules, such as yielding. The responsibility for these robots rests on the operating companies, which must supervise the machines. However, Finland currently lacks a licensing system for these vehicles. Accidents involving delivery robots could lead to further legal complexities.
The police suggest that intentionally striking a delivery robot could be considered criminal damage, though the issue has not garnered much attention due to the scarcity of serious incidents. As the number of delivery robots expands, authorities and the public may soon confront the challenge of determining the appropriate response when these autonomous machines make errors or collide with people, vehicles, or one another.
Written by urgent.news from Yle News Finland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
