METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN ACTUATABLE SAFETY DEVICE

A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and near opposite sides of the vehicle and providing second acceleration signals indicative thereof. The method farther comprises the steps of determining a transverse crash value functionally related to the second acceleration signals and comparing the determined transverse crash value against a safing threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.