An occupant protection apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes a contact detector, a control processor, and a lifting mechanism. The contact detector detects frontal contact of the vehicle. The control processor includes a contact determination unit determining whether the frontal contact of the vehicle is underride contact based on a result of detecting by the contact detector. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting member and a lifting driver. The lifting member is disposed below a rear end part of a hood in a downward direction of the vehicle. The hood is disposed on a frontal part of the vehicle. The lifting driver transmits a driving force to the lifting member. When the contact determination unit determines that the frontal contact is the underride contact, the rear end part of the hood is lifted by the lifting mechanism.

Devices and methods are disclosed for detecting or predicting an underride impact. An example vehicle includes a camera for capturing an image of a target vehicle, sensors for detecting a speed and heading of the vehicle, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a target vehicle classification, determine an open space of the target vehicle, determine a closing speed between the vehicle and target vehicle, predict an underride impact based on the classification, open space, and closing speed, and responsively execute an impact action.

A vehicle collision detection system that includes: a controller that actuates an occupant restraint device in a case in which a collision between a vehicle and an object has been predicted by a collision prediction section, a collision mode has been determined to be an underride mode by a determination section, the object has been determined to be another vehicle by the determination section, and an acceleration detected by a first acceleration sensor is at or above an underride-mode-actuation determination threshold that is lower than a normal-actuation determination threshold for the occupant restraint device.

Devices and methods are disclosed for detecting or predicting an underride impact. An example vehicle includes a camera for capturing an image of a target vehicle, sensors for detecting a speed and heading of the vehicle, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a target vehicle classification, determine an open space of the target vehicle, determine a closing speed between the vehicle and target vehicle, predict an underride impact based on the classification, open space, and closing speed, and responsively execute an impact action.

A vehicle collision detection system that includes: a controller that actuates an occupant restraint device in a case in which a collision between a vehicle and an object has been predicted by a collision prediction section, a collision mode has been determined to be an underride mode by a determination section, the object has been determined to be another vehicle by the determination section, and an acceleration detected by a first acceleration sensor is at or above an underride-mode-actuation determination threshold that is lower than a normal-actuation determination threshold for the occupant restraint device.

An occupant protection apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes a contact detector, a control processor, and a lifting mechanism. The contact detector detects frontal contact of the vehicle. The control processor includes a contact determination unit determining whether the frontal contact of the vehicle is underride contact based on a result of detecting by the contact detector. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting member and a lifting driver. The lifting member is disposed below a rear end part of a hood in a downward direction of the vehicle. The hood is disposed on a frontal part of the vehicle. The lifting driver transmits a driving force to the lifting member. When the contact determination unit determines that the frontal contact is the underride contact, the rear end part of the hood is lifted by the lifting mechanism.