Method and device for recognizing marked hazard areas and/or construction areas in the region of lanes

A method of automatically recognizing a road hazard area or a road construction area on a roadway along which a vehicle is driving, comprising steps:

• a) with at least one environment sensor of the vehicle, producing environment data regarding an environment on the roadway;
• b) evaluating the environment data to detect an actual traffic light system on the roadway;
• c) evaluating the environment data to determine actual position data of a position of the actual traffic light system;
• d) from the environment data determining an environment scenario by classifying an environment configuration represented by features of the environment;
• e) determining or obtaining a reference model that represents previously acquired reference information pertaining to the environment scenario, wherein the reference information indicates whether an expected traffic light system exists in the reference model and provides reference position data regarding an expected position of the expected traffic light system when the expected traffic light system exists in the reference model;
• f) when the reference information does not indicate that the expected traffic light system exists in the reference model, then in response thereto as a prerequisite, generating a conclusion that the actual traffic light system is a temporary traffic light system identifying the road hazard area or the road construction area on the roadway;
• and
• g) when the reference information indicates that the expected traffic light system exists in the reference model, then comparing the reference position data with the actual position data, and when the reference position data differs from the actual position data then in response thereto as a prerequisite, generating the conclusion that the actual traffic light system is the temporary traffic light system identifying the road hazard area or the road construction area on the roadway.