A system (10) for helping to protect a vehicle occupant includes a crash sensor (32) operative to sense a vehicle crash event and provide a crash signal having a characteristic indicative of the sensed crash event. An acoustic safing sensor (34) is operative to sense acoustic waves of the vehicle during a vehicle crash event and provide a safing signal having a characteristic indicative of the sensed acoustic waves. The system (10) also includes an occupant protection device (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28) for, when actuated, helping to protect the vehicle occupant during a vehicle crash event. A controller (30) controls actuation of the occupant protection device (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28) in response to the crash signal and the safing signal.