Vehicle collision sensing system, and a method of operating same

A vehicle collision sensing system having sensor modules distributed about the vehicle configured to receive initialization signals for coordinating communication with a control module over a time multiplexed communication network that is part of the control module. The control module has a switch that is open when a first sensor module is initialized and closed when a second sensor module is initialized so that each sensor module can be individually initialized or programmed after installation in the vehicle. By individually initializing each sensor module after the sensor modules are installed in the vehicle, identical sensor modules can be installed at various locations about the vehicle and thereafter initialized to make each sensor module unique.