VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, MERGING ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE

To provide a vehicle control device capable of achieving merging of a vehicle in a traveling direction of a preceding vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device 3 comprises: a distance measuring unit which is mounted on a vehicle and which can obtain detection information by detecting a certain region ahead of the vehicle; and a traveling control unit that makes the vehicle merge with a preceding vehicle by tracking the preceding vehicle using the detection information when the distance measuring unit detects the preceding vehicle ahead of the vehicle, a traveling direction of the preceding vehicle crosses the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle coincides with a direction into which the vehicle is turn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】先行車の進行方向への車両の合流を実現できる車両制御装置を提供する。【解決手段】車両制御装置３は、車両に搭載され、前記車両前方の一定領域を検知して検知情報を得る距測部と、前記距測部が前記車両の前方の先行車を検知しており、前記先行車の進行方向が前記車両の進行方向と交差していて、かつ、前記先行車の進行方向が前記車両の転進すべき方向と一致するとき、前記検知情報を用いて前記先行車を追尾することにより、前記車両を前記先行車に合流させる走行制御部と、を備える。【選択図】図２