Method for controlling travel and device for controlling travel of vehicle

A travel control method for a vehicle wherein a certain target inter-vehicle distance is set from among a plurality of settable target inter-vehicle distances and a subject vehicle is controlled to follow, in an automated or autonomous manner, a traveling trajectory of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle,

• the travel control method comprising, when a trajectory-following travel mode for following the traveling trajectory of the preceding vehicle in the automated or autonomous manner is in the ON state and the subject vehicle approaches a curve, an intersection, a slope, or an interchange, setting the target inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a relatively small value from among the settable values.

A travel control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising a controller configured to set a certain target inter-vehicle distance from among a plurality of settable target inter-vehicle distances and perform travel control of a subject vehicle so as to follow, in an automated or autonomous manner, a traveling trajectory of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the subject vehicle,

• the controller being further configured to, when an automated or autonomous travel mode for following the traveling trajectory of the preceding vehicle in the automated or autonomous manner transitions from an OFF state to an ON state, set the target inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a relatively small value from among the settable values.