WASHINGTON U.S auto safety regulators said Tuesday that major automakers could comply with a Massachusetts vehicle data law that seeks to allow car owners to get repairs completed by independent shops.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told nearly two dozen major automakers in June not to comply, saying it poses significant safety concerns because it required open remote access to vehicle telematics and vehicle-generated data.

The agency said Tuesday in a letter to the Massachusetts attorney general's office that the agency believes automakers can comply by providing repair shops "wireless access to a vehicle from within close physical proximity to the vehicle, without providing long-range remote access."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)