Abstract: An occupant-restraint deployment system and method for an automotive vehicle measures an initial vehicle velocity and a vehicle acceleration over a discrete time interval and calculates a vehicle velocity. An energy-momentum (e-m) waveform is determined for the time interval based upon the vehicle velocity and a vehicle mass. A semimetric distance is calculated between the e-m waveform and each of a set of signature waveforms characterizing collision classes. Identification of a collision class is then made based upon the semimetric distances, and deployment of an occupant restraint is activated if the identified collision class indicates a collision for which deployment is appropriate.