Markey sites story in letter to Tesla

It looks like NBC Boston's (WBTS) emphasis on investigative journalism has paid dividends in Washington.

Se. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has reached out to Tesla with concerns about safety flaws in Tesla's autopilot system, citing station investigation.

That report was a Nov. 11 follow-up story from investigative journalist Ryan Kath on a September incident about a driver who had fallen apparently asleep behind the unmanned wheel, as it were.

Kath located another driver with a similar issue.

"According to a recent news report on NBC Boston, Tesla drivers have identified a variety of ways to circumvent the safety alerts and automatic shut-off feature that are designed to activate when a user of Autopilot is no longer paying attention to the road," Markey told the company, and asked for answers to a bunch of questions about safety.