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.