Two lawmakers ask U.S. regulator about Tesla crashes, safety probes

The letter added "does NHTSA strike a balance between investigative thoroughness 

Two U.S. lawmakers who chair subcommittees overseeing auto safety asked the federal auto safety regulator for a briefing on its probes into crashes involving Tesla Inc electric vehicles using Autopilot and advanced driver assistance systems, Qazet.az reports according to Reuters.

U.S. Senator Gary Peters and Representative Jan Schakowsky, both Democrats, said in the letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) they were concerned that "federal investigations and recent reporting have uncovered troubling safety issues" at Tesla.

The lawmakers asked "given the mounting number of fatalities involving Tesla vehicles crashing into tractor trailers ... has NHTSA considered opening a defect investigation into this issue?"

The letter added "does NHTSA strike a balance between investigative thoroughness and addressing urgent, emerging risks to motor vehicle safety?" and if the agency has enough resources and legal authority to properly investigate advanced driver assistance systems.