A safety apparatus (20) for a battery (80) has a base (22) for a vehicle (10), sensors (31, 32, 33, 34) and an evaluation apparatus (40). Each sensor (31, 32, 33, 34) is designed to generate a sensor signal (35) on a basis of a deformation of the base (22) and to supply the sensor signal to the evaluation apparatus (40). The evaluation apparatus (40) ascertains from the sensor signals (35) both first information about the location of the deformation of the base (22) and second information about the level of the deformation, and uses the first information and the second information as a basis for determining whether a first state (Z1) is present, in which a driving mode can be maintained, or whether a second state (Z2) is present, in which a driving mode can no longer be maintained.