An optical measuring device for a vehicle includes an optical transmitter that generates transmitter radiation and radiates it into a monitoring region, and a receiver that receives resulting receiver radiation from the region. An evaluation and control unit evaluates the receiver radiation for object recognition. A first transmitter generates a first light field on a surface in the region by emitting directed first transmitter radiation and a second transmitter generates a second light field in the adjacent surroundings of the first field by emitting directed second transmitter radiation. The unit receives and evaluates first receiver radiation reflected by the first field and second receiver radiation reflected by the second field via the receiver, wherein the unit generates an output signal when it detects change in the reflected second receiver radiation caused by a trigger object detected in the region and reflected first receiver radiation unchanged by the object.