A method for processing echo pulses of an active 3D sensor to provide distance measurements of the surroundings in front of the sensor, comprising the following steps: - defining a near range distance from the 3D sensor, - defining a last echo distance from the 3D sensor greater than the predefined near range distance, - receiving echo pulses of the signal emitted by the active 3D sensor and subjecting that sequence of echo pulses to a pre-defined trigger condition so that only those echo pulses are taken into consideration which fulfill the predefined trigger condition, and determining the respective trigger times and corresponding distances, - suppressing echo pulses from distances smaller than the predefined near range distance, characterized by - out of the echo pulses that fulfill the predefined trigger condition and that are received from distances greater than the predefined near range distance, determining two particular echo pulses, designated first and adaptive echo pulse (73, 77), according to the following procedure: - determining the first echo pulse as the echo pulse that was received first, - determining the adaptive echo pulse as follows: - if one or more echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance occur, the one of these pulses which was received first will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - if there are no echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance, then the last echo pulse received will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - using the two so determined echo signals (73, 77) for providing distance measurements of the surroundings in front of the 3D sensor. - defining a near range distance from the 3D sensor, - defining a last echo distance from the 3D sensor greater than the predefined near range distance, - receiving echo pulses of the signal emitted by the active 3D sensor and subjecting that sequence of echo pulses to a pre-defined trigger condition so that only those echo pulses are taken into consideration which fulfill the predefined trigger condition, and determining the respective trigger times and corresponding distances, - suppressing echo pulses from distances smaller than the predefined near range distance, - out of the echo pulses that fulfill the predefined trigger condition and that are received from distances greater than the predefined near range distance, determining two particular echo pulses, designated first and adaptive echo pulse (73, 77), according to the following procedure: - determining the first echo pulse as the echo pulse that was received first, - determining the adaptive echo pulse as follows: - if one or more echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance occur, the one of these pulses which was received first will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - if there are no echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance, then the last echo pulse received will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - if one or more echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance occur, the one of these pulses which was received first will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - if there are no echo pulses received from distances greater than the predefined last echo distance, then the last echo pulse received will be selected as the adaptive echo pulse, - using the two so determined echo signals (73, 77) for providing distance measurements of the surroundings in front of the 3D sensor.