Driving assistance apparatus for erroneous accelerator pedal operation

A driving assistance apparatus comprising:

• an accelerator pedal operated by a driver of a vehicle;
• an accelerator operation amount sensor configured to detect an accelerator operation amount which is an operation amount of said accelerator pedal;
• and
• a control unit implemented by at least one programmed processor and configured to control a drive force generating apparatus which generates a drive force of said vehicle to thereby change said drive force;
• wherein said control unit is configured to:
• determine, based on said accelerator operation amount, whether a predetermined erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied, said erroneous operation start condition being a condition to become satisfied when there is a probability that said driver has performed an erroneous operation to said accelerator pedal;
• determine, based on said accelerator operation amount, whether a predetermined erroneous operation end condition becomes satisfied in a case where said erroneous operation start condition has been determined to become satisfied, said erroneous operation end condition being a condition to become satisfied when there is a probability that said erroneous operation to said accelerator pedal has ended;
• control said drive force generating apparatus such that said drive force coincides with an ordinary drive force which varies depending on said accelerator operation amount during an ordinary period other than an erroneous operation period which is a period from a time point when said erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied to a time point when said erroneous operation end condition becomes satisfied;
• and
• control said drive force generating apparatus such that said drive force coincides with an erroneous operation coping drive force which is smaller than said ordinary drive force during said erroneous operation period,
• wherein, said control unit is further configured to:
• set said erroneous operation coping drive force to a first drive force which is smaller than said ordinary drive force, in a case where said erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied after a reoperation determination time point at which a predetermined time threshold elapses from a time point when said erroneous operation end condition became last satisfied;
• set said erroneous operation coping drive force to a second drive force which is greater than said first drive force and is smaller than said ordinary drive force, in a case where said erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied before said reoperation determination time point;
• set said erroneous operation coping drive force to said second drive force when a travelling speed of said vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined upper limit speed during said erroneous operation period in a case where said erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied before said reoperation determination time point;
• and
• set said erroneous operation coping drive force to zero when said travelling speed of said vehicle is greater than said predetermined upper limit speed during said erroneous operation period in a case where said erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied before said reoperation determination time point.