A device for triggering an occupant protection means of a vehicle has an environment sensor for monitoring a surrounding environment of the vehicle, the environment sensor being adapted so as to output an environment signal in response to an impending collision of the vehicle. The device further has a triggering device that is adapted to acquire, within a peripheral area of the vehicle, a physical quantity indicating a collision that has taken place, and to produce a collision signal based on the physical quantity, and that is adapted to make a triggering decision for the occupant protection means as a function of the environment signal and of the collision signal.