The invention relates to an occupant protection system having a central unit, sensors and a plurality of control modules which are connected by means of a bus system so that they can communicate and which are provided for triggering occupant protection devices. In a large number of occupant protection systems, sensors and control modules provided for triggering occupant protection devices considerably increase the amount of wiring required when they are connected to a central unit in a communicative manner. For this reason, bus systems already exist for control modules provided for triggering occupant protection devices. The aim of the invention is to further reduce the amount of wiring required in a simple manner. To this end, the sensors are at least partially integrated in the bus system by means of additional control modules which are assigned to said sensors. In addition, an actual sensor value is sent as a diagnostic response from the control modules of the sensors to the bus system within the scope of a process of the diagnostic inquiry-diagnostic response which triggers a functional test of the control modules provided for triggering occupant protection devices. Said value is processed by the central unit and/or by the other control modules. The invention also relates to the use of these occupant protection systems in motor vehicles.