An apparatus for triggering personal protection means, having a surroundings sensor suite and a contact sensor suite, influences a pedestrian protection algorithm as a function of a first signal of the surroundings sensor suite, and influences a pre-crash algorithm as a function of a second signal of the pedestrian protection algorithm that takes into account a third signal of the contact sensor suite. The apparatus triggers the personal protection means as a function of a fourth signal of the pedestrian protection algorithm and a fifth signal of the pre-crash algorithm.