Impact responsive safety shut-off for vehicles

In a vehicle having fuel lines for delivering ignitable fuel to an engine, and having an electrical system with at least one branch circuit that includes wiring provided in close proximity to these fuel lines and/or to the engine, the improvement comprising:

• a control housing having electrical connections for the vehicle's electrical system and fuel inlet and outlet connections for the vehicles fuel lines,
• electrical switches provided in said housing for normally closing the electrical system, said switches provided in electrical series with one another so that activating any one of said switches disables the electrical system,
• fuel valves provided in said housing for normally allowing fuel to flow through the fuel lines, said valves provided in series with one another so that activating any one of said valves interrupts fuel flow in the vehicle fuel lines, and
• bi-directional inertia responsive means for activating said switches and valves, said inertia responsive means including a mass, and means biasing said mass in a primary longitudinal direction such that an impact force with a component of predetermined magnitude that is opposite said one direction overcomes said biasing force and activates at least one electrical switch and at least one valve, said mass being lightly biased in both lateral directions transversely of said primary longitudinal direction such that a lesser lateral component of any impact force in a lateral direction is required to activate at least one electrical switch and at least one valve.