Vehicle control system and method for increasing the attentiveness of a driver when operating a driving function

A vehicle system for providing a driving function that provides automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle at a signaling unit, wherein the driving function has an automatic mode, in which the signaling unit is automatically considered by the driving function, and a manual mode, in which the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after a user confirmation, the vehicle system comprising:

• a vehicle guidance system configured to:
• sequentially detect a multiplicity of signaling units;
• for each signaling unit of the multiplicity of signaling units:
• determine whether the driving function is operable in the automatic mode or only in the manual mode at the signaling unit, wherein the determination is based on data relating to the signaling unit;
• as a default operation of the driving function, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operate the driving function in the automatic mode at the signaling unit;
• and
• in contravention of the default operation, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operate the driving function in the manual mode at the signaling unit so that the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after the user confirmation.