Information processing apparatus and information processing method

An information processing method performed by a computer that is mounted on a vehicle, the information processing method comprising:

• detecting whether or not the vehicle and a following vehicle are traveling on a same lane,
• acquiring position information of the vehicle,
• transmitting an inquiry to an external device together with the position information of the vehicle, and acquiring a type of a traveling lane of the vehicle from the external device,
• acquiring information about the following vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a vehicle-mounted sensor, or a vehicle-mounted camera,
• determining whether or not the following vehicle is approaching at a speed faster than a speed of the vehicle with a different method according to which of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the vehicle-mounted sensor and the vehicle-mounted camera acquires the information about the following vehicle, and
• outputting a guidance to change lanes on a condition that the vehicle being not close to an intersection and that a road where the vehicle is travelling having two or more lanes, in a case where the vehicle and the following vehicle are traveling on the same lane, and the following vehicle is approaching at a speed faster than the speed of the vehicle.