Vehicle drive assist system and vehicle drive assist method

Abstract

An automatic following control execution unit recognizes a preceding vehicle of the own vehicle and performs automatic following control of causing the own vehicle to automatically follow the preceding vehicle. A start-command acquisition unit acquires a start command to initiate the automatic following control. An automatic following control starting unit starts the automatic following control, when the brake is switched from on to off after satisfaction of a first to fifth conditions. The first condition is that the own vehicle is not under the automatic following control. The second condition is that a brake of the own vehicle is in an on state. The third condition is that the own vehicle is at rest. The fourth condition is that the preceding vehicle has been recognized. The fifth condition is that the start command acquisition means has acquired the start command. A target stopping inter-vehicle distance setting unit detects a first inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle when the first to fifth conditions are satisfied, and sets, as the first inter-vehicle distance, a target inter-vehicle distance for stopping the own vehicle. A start timing setting unit detects a second inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle at the start of the automatic following control, and sets a start timing for starting the own vehicle on the basis of the second inter-vehicle distance.