Driving support control device

A driving support control device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor configured to control a vehicle in accordance with a given driving support mode selected from plural driving support modes by a driver,
• wherein the plural driving support modes include an automatic speed control mode in which control of causing the vehicle to travel at a given setup vehicle speed set by the driver is executed and a preceding vehicle following mode in which control of causing the vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle is executed,
• wherein the driving support control device is configured to temporally repeatedly calculate, even in the automatic speed control mode being selected, a traveling course for the preceding vehicle following mode along which the vehicle should travel,
• wherein, when the driver manipulates a mode selection switch to select the preceding vehicle following mode instead of the automatic speed control mode which is the current driving support mode:
• the driving support control device is operable, in a situation where the driving support control device determines that a current position of the vehicle deviates beyond a given distance in a lateral direction which is a width direction of a traveling road or a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle from the traveling course for the preceding vehicle following mode, to, regardless of the manipulation of the mode selection switch to select the preceding vehicle following mode by the driver, prohibit transition to the preceding vehicle following mode, and
• the driving support control device is operable, in a situation where the driving support control device determines that the current position of the vehicle does not deviate beyond the given distance in the lateral direction from the traveling course for the preceding vehicle following mode, to permit transition to the preceding vehicle following mode, and execute control of causing the vehicle to travel on and along the traveling course for the preceding vehicle following mode as a target traveling course.