The invention relates to an occupant protection device comprising a first airbag (1) for a first stage of the triggering, and a second airbag (2) for a second stage of the triggering that can be triggered independently and in a temporally successive manner. According to the invention, the first airbag (1) has an impact zone that corresponds to the diameter (d0) of the steering wheel (4), and has a deployment length (e1) which extends toward the occupant and which is short compared to the distance between the impact zone and the occupant. When in a filled state, a second airbag (2) which can be independently triggered surrounds the first airbag (1) in a tubular and laterally exterior manner, whereby the second airbag (2) compresses the first airbag (1) so that the deployment length of the first air bag is extended. While the first airbag is triggered early and independent of the position of the occupant, the second airbag can be successively filled, in a targeted manner and according to the position and/or the size of the occupant, with varying quantities of gas by a controllable gas source when a second acceleration threshold is surpassed and, as a result, the shape of both airbags as well as the deformation of the first airbag can be adjusted.