Driver assistance apparatus

A driver assistance apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the driver assistance apparatus comprising:

• an environment information obtainer configured to acquire information on a traveling environment around the vehicle;
• a visibility value measurer configured to measure, as a visibility distance, a distance over which vehicle surroundings are visible based on the information on the traveling environment acquired by the environment information obtainer;
• a traveling direction detector configured to detect a traveling direction of the vehicle;
• and
• a control processor configured to:
• determine that a visibility-obstructed condition of the vehicle surroundings has occurred when the measured visibility distance is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold visibility distance;
• execute, when the visibility-obstructed condition has occurred, (1) a first process in which the control processor provides an alert perceivable by nearby vehicles to indicate presence of the vehicle by causing at least one of a horn or a turn signal lamp of the vehicle to output the alert based on the measured visibility distance;
• and (2) a second process in which the control processor assists traveling of the vehicle by adjusting at least one of torque of a power unit or steering of the vehicle;
• increase torque of the power unit of the vehicle in the second process when it is determined that the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the traveling direction detector is oriented in a direction along a traveling lane of the vehicle;
• decrease the torque of the power unit of the vehicle in the second process when it is determined that the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the traveling direction detector is oriented in a direction different from the direction along the traveling lane;
• determine that the vehicle has entered a deep snow area when a difference between an estimated movement of the vehicle per unit time and an actual movement of the vehicle per unit time is greater than or equal to a preset allowable value;
• increase the torque of the power unit when the vehicle has entered the deep snow area and the traveling direction of the vehicle is oriented in the direction along the traveling lane of the vehicle;
• and
• decrease the torque of the power unit when the vehicle has entered the deep snow area and the traveling direction of the vehicle is oriented in the direction different from the direction along the traveling lane.