Vehicle control method, vehicle control system, and non-transitory storage medium

A vehicle control system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to perform:
• a process of recognizing a signal candidate position around a vehicle by using a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the signal candidate position being a position at which a traffic light is possibly present, the vehicle including a light configured in such a manner that a light distribution state of the light changes;
• and
• a first light control process of controlling the light in response to recognition of the signal candidate position, the first light control process including at least one of:
• increasing an intensity of light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position;
• or
• making the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position higher than an intensity of light emitted to an area other than the signal candidate position;
• acquiring an image of surroundings of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle;
• performing, after the first light control process, a screening process of narrowing down the signal candidate position based on the image;
• and
• performing a second light control process of controlling the light after the screening process,
• wherein an excluded position is a position excluded from the signal candidate position by the screening process;
• and
• wherein the second light control process includes reducing an intensity of light emitted to the excluded position to a value lower than before the screening process.

A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:

• recognizing a signal candidate position around a vehicle by using a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the signal candidate position being a position at which a traffic light is possibly present, the vehicle including a light configured in such a manner that a light distribution state of the light changes;
• and
• performing a first light control process of controlling the light in response to recognition of the signal candidate position, the first light control process including at least one of:
• increasing an intensity of light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position;
• or
• making the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position higher than an intensity of light emitted to an area other than the signal candidate position;
• acquiring an image of surroundings of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle;
• performing, after the first light control process, a screening process of narrowing down the signal candidate position based on the image;
• and
• performing a second light control process of controlling the light after the screening process,
• wherein an excluded position is a position excluded from the signal candidate position by the screening process;
• and
• wherein the second light control process includes reducing an intensity of light emitted to the excluded position to a value lower than before the screening process.