Method and apparatus for activating occupant protection devices

A process for the activation of the occupant protection devices (10, 11), in particular in a motor vehicle, in which a closing rate is determined to a collision object within a predetermined short range of the vehicle environment and, if the approach speed is above a predefined threshold value, an expected impact time (Ta) on the collision object and of the expected impact time (Ta) of outgoing time range (T1, T2) in which takes place after a plausibility check the activation of the assigned occupant protection means (10, 11) is determined, characterized in that the determination of the time range (T1, T2) the plausibility check as a function of a signal quality (S) of at least one proximity sensor (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B), a vehicle dynamics and a collision object geometry, and in that for the plausibility check an acceleration signal or a signal equivalent thereto dahi ngehend is checked whether it is above a predefined threshold and matches terms of sign determined by a proximity sensor from the at least (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) impact direction.