APPARECCHIO E METODO PER RIVELARE UN RIBALTAMENTO DI UN VEICOLO AVENTI UNA FUNZIONEDI SICUREZZA PER DISCRIMINAZIONE

A vehicle rollover event detector (10) includes a rollover sensor (14). A first accelerometer (80) senses vehicle acceleration in a direction offset from the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle (12) up to a maximum acceleration sensing level and provides a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. A second accelerometer (96) senses vehicle acceleration in the offset direction at acceleration levels in excess of the maximum acceleration sensing level of the first accelerometer and provides a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (26) selects the first accelerometer or second accelerometer and provides an actuation signal (110) when the signal from the rollover sensor and the selected first or second accelerometers both indicate a vehicle rollover event.