Musk's cost-cutting team is laying off workers at the auto safety agency overseeing his car company

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 US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has cut a "modest" amount of positions, according to a statement from the agency.

Musk has accused NHTSA of holding back progress on self-driving technology with its investigations and recalls.

Asked about whether the cuts would impact any probes into Tesla, the agency referred to its statement that says it will "enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment."

The job cuts at NHTSA enacted by Musk's advisory group on shrinking the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency, was earlier reported by The Washington Post.

In addition to investigations into Tesla's partially automated vehicles, NHTSA has mandated that Tesla and other automakers using self-driving technology report crash data on vehicles, a requirement that Tesla has criticised and that watchdogs fear could be eliminated.

The staff reductions have come through a combination of firings, buyouts and layoffs.

The agency noted in its statement that the Biden administration had expanded its payroll, suggesting the smaller staff was sufficient to carry out its mission.

"Even with these modest efficiencies, NHTSA is still considerably larger today than it was four years ago," the statement said.

"We have retained positions critical to the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs due to road traffic crashes."