In this paper an approach of using surround sensor information for passive safety is being proposed. The combination of active and passive safety is necessary to reach the high aims to reduce the fatalities in road traffic up to 50% since 2000. Especially the surround sensor, like the video sensor, offers lots of information that can beneficially be used for advancing the current passive safety systems and design new functions that are not possible with current state of the art passive safety sensors.

An overview about such possible passive safety functions is given with subject to the necessary sensor requirements. These requirements are derived among others from accident statistics and the required restraint system which should be activated. A major outcome of this evaluation, the different sensor requirements for comfort and safety functions, is presented.

As an example for such kind of passive safety functions, the Video-supported pedestrian protection is presented with focus on reducing the crash severity by activation of a brake system and by supporting the current pedestrian protection system to pop up the hood by recognizing the pedestrians.

As another example, Video-based PreSet and Video-based PreFire are presented with focus on protecting the occupant in the best way possible by an optimal choreography of the reversible and irreversible restraint systems. Therefore, the sensor characteristic must be slightly different and well designed to the special functional variant. In the end a first indication about the potential of such systems and a forecast of future systems is given.