NEW YORK — Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his company’s cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has cut a “modest” number of positions, according to a statement from the agency, but it will “enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment.” Musk has accused NHTSA of holding back progress on self-driving technology with its investigations and recalls.

NHTSA has mandated that Tesla and other automakers using self-driving technology report crash data on vehicles, a requirement that Tesla has criticized and that watchdogs fear could be eliminated. — Associated Press