Method of determining the severity of a vehicle collision

A procedure for the recognition of the gravity of a vehicle crash has the output signal of one or more acceleration sensors processed and passed to a neuronal network which controls a release unit for a passenger protection device. Through the release unit, several passenger protection devices are controlled corresponding to the gravity and the pattern of the vehicle crash. With the help of the neuronal network, the output signal of the acceleration sensor is predicted in its future time pattern on the basis of the acceleration sensor signal values at least at one defined time point. The input of the acceleration sensor signals into the neuronal network takes place at the time point when a threshold of this signal is exceeded.