METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING A LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF A VEHICLE

A longitudinal movement of a vehicle is automatically regulated by detecting, using recorded signals of an environment sensor system an environment of the vehicle and objects located. A state of a traffic light system to be accounted for by the vehicle at a traffic light signal controlled junction in order for the vehicle to pass through the junction is determined. When the vehicle approaches the junction, it is recognized that a view of the environment sensor system of the traffic light system may be obscured by a vehicle in front, then a minimum distance of the vehicle to the vehicle in front is determined depending on a current position of the vehicle in relation to the traffic light system and in relation to the vehicle in front, which minimum distance is used as the basis of the automatic regulation of the longitudinal movement and is not undershot by the vehicle.