A method for adjusting at least one trigger criterion of a protection system for the protection of external road users to be protected, especially preferably for the protection of pedestrians, including specifying the trigger criterion for a standard driving situation, ascertaining a longitudinal velocity of the motor vehicle, ascertaining a current or expected transverse movement of the motor vehicle, calculating at least one detection range of at least one environmental sensor for detecting potential collision objects as a function of the longitudinal velocity and the transverse movement, calculating whether collision objects having a predefinable maximum velocity may be struck by the motor vehicle without having previously been detected in the detection range by the environmental sensor, and modifying the trigger criterion to a modified trigger criterion if collision objects may be struck by the motor vehicle without having previously been detected in the detection range by environmental sensor.

A method for identifying a polarity of a freewheeling diode interconnected in parallel to an inductive actuator for a safety unit for a vehicle. The method includes applying a test current to a terminal of the freewheeling diode and carrying out a comparison between a voltage present at the terminal and a threshold voltage while the test current is being applied, a result of the comparison indicating the polarity of the freewheeling diode.

An object is identified by an on-board camera and a relative speed of the vehicle and the object is acquired. If the object is a two-wheel vehicle and the relative speed is lower than the vehicle speed, the relative speed is set as a collision speed. If the object is an object other than a two-wheel vehicle, the vehicle speed is set as the collision speed. Using the set collision speed, an effective mass is computed and collision determination is executed.

An assembly includes a vehicle seat including a seat back, a first track mounted to the seat back, an upper airbag movable along the first track, a second track mounted to the seat back, a lower airbag movable along the second track, and a mechanical assembly configured to simultaneously move the upper airbag along the first track and the lower airbag along the second track in opposite directions.

A soft cover for packaging an assemblage of an inflator and a side airbag in a stored condition to form an airbag module for installation in a vehicle, The soft cover is formed as a sheet of material including a central portion configured to form a loop that encircles the inflator and side airbag. A first end portion of the sheet extends from the central portion and is configured to wrap over the inflator and side airbag, closing a first open end of the loop formed by the central portion. The first end portion includes an inflator connector opening configured to be fitted over a connector housing of the inflator, leaving the inflator connector housing exposed outside the airbag module.