OCCUPANT MONITORING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

A vehicle occupant monitoring device for a vehicle is configured to monitor an occupant sitting on a seat provided in a vehicle and includes a light projector, an imaging device, and a processor. The light projector is configured to project light toward the occupant sitting on the seat. The imaging device is configured to capture an image of the occupant sitting on the seat. The processor is configured to control the light projector and the imaging device to capture the image of the occupant sitting on the seat. In a case where a collision of the vehicle is predicted, the processor causes the light projector to radiate intense light toward a head of the occupant to be imaged by the imaging device.