Method for determining a type of a collision of a vehicle, which method comprises the following steps: receiving a first acceleration information item, a second acceleration information item, a third acceleration information item and a fourth acceleration information item via a reception interface, wherein the first acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a first direction, the second acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a second direction, the third acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a third direction, and the fourth acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a fourth direction, wherein the first and third directions each have a main component in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and the second and fourth directions each have a main component in the vehicle lateral directions opposing one another; determining a first resulting acceleration information item from the first acceleration information item and the second acceleration information item and a second resulting acceleration information item from the third acceleration information item and the fourth acceleration information item; combining the first resulting acceleration information item and the second resulting acceleration information item in order to obtain at least one evaluation information item, wherein a difference composed of the first resulting acceleration information item and the second resulting acceleration information item is formed in the combination step; and detecting the type of the collision (631, 633) on the basis of the at least one evaluation information item, wherein in the detection step the difference is compared with a threshold value in order to detect the type of the collision. receiving a first acceleration information item, a second acceleration information item, a third acceleration information item and a fourth acceleration information item via a reception interface, wherein the first acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a first direction, the second acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a second direction, the third acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a third direction, and the fourth acceleration information item represents acceleration of the vehicle in a fourth direction, wherein the first and third directions each have a main component in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and the second and fourth directions each have a main component in the vehicle lateral directions opposing one another; determining a first resulting acceleration information item from the first acceleration information item and the second acceleration information item and a second resulting acceleration information item from the third acceleration information item and the fourth acceleration information item; combining the first resulting acceleration information item and the second resulting acceleration information item in order to obtain at least one evaluation information item, wherein a difference composed of the first resulting acceleration information item and the second resulting acceleration information item is formed in the combination step; and detecting the type of the collision (631, 633) on the basis of the at least one evaluation information item, wherein in the detection step the difference is compared with a threshold value in order to detect the type of the collision.