A mixed _nite element formulation is presented for modelling the behaviour of laminated composite plates containing integral piezoelectric layers and is utilized to study the response of the distributed sensors made of PVDF film when the laminate is subjected to low velocity impact. The formulation is based on the Hamilton variational principle which takes into account the electric field potential energy of the piezoelectric layers. In view of the intrinsic state of the contact problem, the laminate is discretized by three!dimensional and two-dimensional elements, between which transition elements are introduced to provide a smooth interphase zone. Numerical examples show the accuracy of the method. The close circuit charge generated by the piezoelectric sensor is computed and the inuence of the skew angle of the PVDF film is examined as well.