VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM

The invention describes a vehicle occupant restraint system (2) comprising a control unit and at least two restraint elements (8, 10) for the protection of lower extremities (6, 6′, 7, 7′) in the area of a footwell (4) of a vehicle of a vehicle occupant seated in a particular vehicle seat of the vehicle, wherein a first restraint element (8) is configured as a knee airbag module (12), wherein a second restraint element (10) is provided for mounting into the footwell (4) of the vehicle, especially in an area of the footwell (4) of the vehicle arranged in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x) ahead of the knee airbag module (12), wherein, in a situation of restraint, the control unit can differentiate between different given situations, wherein the given situation can be determined via a vehicle seat position and parameters relating to vehicle occupants, wherein, in the situation of restraint, when a situation is given in which the vehicle seat (5) is in a position shifted backwards, especially in a position shifted backwards compared to the standard position, and the vehicle occupant is a short and/or light person, the control unit only activates the foot airbag module (16) of the second restraint element (10).