Method for actuating restraint means

PURPOSE: To provide a method for securely actuating a restraint means at the time of various collisions dangerous for vehicle occupants. CONSTITUTION: An acceleration signal is measured and weighted by a weighting function. The weighted acceleration signal is integrated with respect to time to be converted to a velocity signal DIV, and an actuation threshold value DVG for actuating the restraint system is determined for the velocity signal. The weighted or actuation threshold value is variable according to a single or plural state parameters of a vehicle or previous state parameters. If the integrated value DVI is within a prescribed range between DV1 and DV2, the actuation threshold value is decreased and the actuation sensitivity is increased. By this method, a diagonal collision which is dangerous for vehicle occupants, offset collision and local collision can be dependably discriminated so that the restraint means can be actuated at an appropriate time.