A pedestrian protecting apparatus is provided with a pedestrian protecting unit which is mounted at a hood of a vehicle to protect a pedestrian in a collision with the vehicle, a detecting unit for measuring an inclination angle of the obstacle entering a predetermined region at an upper side of the hood, a pedestrian collision determining unit for determining the collision between the vehicle and the pedestrian based on the measured inclination angle of the obstacle, and a control unit. In the case where the measured inclination angle of the obstacle varies with the time elapse so that the obstacle inclines to the side of the hood, the pedestrian collision determining unit determines that there occurs the collision between the vehicle and the pedestrian. Thus, the control unit actuates the pedestrian protecting unit.