An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant
restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32)
sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the
vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) is provides a crush zone
crash acceleration signal. A controller (50) a crash velocity value and a
crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal. A
plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash
displacement threshold maps (152-172) is provided, two of the plurality
of threshold maps (170, 172) relating to a second stage (92, 96) of said
multistage actuatable occupant restraining system. The selects one of the
two threshold maps relating to the second stage of in response to the
crush zone acceleration signal and controls second stage actuation in
response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the
selected one of the two threshold maps (170, 172). Improved misuse
margins are also provided as well as deployment mappings based on
symmetric and asymmetric crash detection.