METHOD FOR DETECTING A COLLISION DIRECTION OF A VEHICLE, METHOD FOR ACTIVATING A COLLISION PROTECTION SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE IN RESPONSE TO A DETECTED COLLISION DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, DEVICE, AND VEHICLE

A method for detecting a direction of a collision of a vehicle. The method includes a comparing step, in which a first acceleration signal is compared to two threshold values, in order to determine a first collision direction signal indicating a direction of the collision, and in which a second acceleration signal is compared to a further threshold value, in order to determine a further collision direction signal indicating a direction of the collision. The second acceleration signal represents the acceleration of the vehicle subjected to smoothing. In the determining step, using the first collision direction signal and the further collision direction signal, a result signal is determined, which indicates the direction indicated by the first collision direction signal and by the further collision direction signal as an actual collision direction.