Vehicle control device, storage medium storing computer program for vehicle control, and method for controlling vehicle

A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for vehicle control, which causes a processor to execute a process, the process comprising:

• determining whether or not a host vehicle is located in a blind spot zone of another vehicle based on information representing environment surrounding the host vehicle;
• deciding to change speed of the host vehicle in a predetermined direction to initiate movement control to cause movement of the host vehicle from the blind spot zone of another vehicle to a location outside of the blind spot zone when it has been determined that the host vehicle is located in the blind spot zone of another vehicle;
• determining whether or not an operation has been executed by a driver of the host vehicle to change the speed of the host vehicle in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction based on information representing operation by the driver, while the movement control is being executed;
• and
• ending the movement control when it has been determined that the operation has been executed by the driver to change the speed of the host vehicle, wherein
• the process further includes:
• determining whether or not a predetermined intervehicular distance can be maintained between the host vehicle and a second other vehicle traveling in a traffic lane in which the host vehicle is traveling after the speed of the host vehicle has been changed by driver operation to move the host vehicle from the blind spot zone of the other vehicle to a location outside of the blind spot zone when it has been determined that the operation has been executed by the driver to change the speed of the host vehicle, and
• deciding to continue without ending the movement control when it has been determined that the predetermined intervehicular distance between the host vehicle and the second other vehicle cannot be maintained.

A method for controlling a vehicle carried out by a vehicle control device, the method comprising:

• determining whether or not a host vehicle is located in a blind spot zone of another vehicle based on information representing environment surrounding the host vehicle;
• deciding to change speed of the host vehicle in a predetermined direction to initiate movement control to cause movement of the host vehicle from the blind spot zone of another vehicle to a location outside of the blind spot zone when it has been determined that the host vehicle is located in the blind spot zone of another vehicle;
• determining whether or not an operation has been executed by a driver of the host vehicle to change the speed of the host vehicle in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction based on information representing operation by the driver, while the movement control is being executed;
• and
• ending the movement control when it has been determined that the operation has been executed by the driver to change the speed of the host vehicle, wherein
• the method further includes:
• determining whether or not a predetermined intervehicular distance can be maintained between the host vehicle and a second other vehicle traveling in a traffic lane in which the host vehicle is traveling after the speed of the host vehicle has been changed by driver operation to move the host vehicle from the blind spot zone of the other vehicle to a location outside of the blind spot zone when it has been determined that the operation has been executed by the driver to change the speed of the host vehicle, and
• deciding to continue without ending the movement control when it has been determined that the predetermined intervehicular distance between the host vehicle and the second other vehicle cannot be maintained.