An automotive passenger restraint and protection apparatus for an
automotive vehicle has a seatbelt and operates to restrain an occupant of
the automotive vehicle by the seatbelt to protect the occupant. An
electric retractor has a DC motor for retracting and protracting the
seatbelt. An MPU applies voltage having a predetermined waveform to the DC
motor, and then detects a waveform of current flowing to the DC motor. The
MPU carries out fault diagnosis of the DC motor, based upon the detected
waveform of current when the voltage having the predetermined waveform is
applied to the DC motor. Thus, accurate fault diagnosis of the apparatus
can be achieved.
