Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and vehicle control computer program

A vehicle control method comprising:

• determining whether or not a situation around a vehicle or a situation of a driver of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined warning condition in a case where a driving control of the vehicle is executed without the driver holding a steering wheel;
• notifying the driver of a hands-on request for holding the steering wheel via a notification device when the predetermined warning condition is satisfied;
• notifying the driver of a warning that the driver does not hold the steering wheel via the notification device when the predetermined warning condition is satisfied;
• determining whether or not the driver holds the steering wheel in response to an in-vehicle sensor signal from an in-vehicle sensor that detects an action of the driver;
• and
• continuing the warning until the driver holds the steering wheel even if the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied after the hands-on request is notified,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• increasing an intensity of the warning as an elapsed time from the notification of the hands-on request becomes longer,
• stopping the warning even if the driver does not hold the steering wheel when the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied while the intensity of the warning is a first strength, and
• continuing the warning until the driver holds the steering wheel even if the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied while the intensity of the warning is a second strength stronger than the first strength.

A non-transitory recording medium that stores a computer program for vehicle control, the computer program causing a processor mounted on a vehicle to execute a process comprising:

• determining whether or not a situation around the vehicle or a situation of a driver of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined warning condition in a case where a driving control of the vehicle is executed without the driver holding a steering wheel;
• notifying the driver of a hands-on request for holding the steering wheel via a notification device when the predetermined warning condition is satisfied;
• notifying the driver of a warning that the driver does not hold the steering wheel via the notification device when the predetermined warning condition is satisfied;
• determining whether or not the driver holds the steering wheel in response to an in-vehicle sensor signal from an in-vehicle sensor that detects an action of the driver;
• and
• continuing the warning until the driver holds the steering wheel even if the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied after the hands-on request is notified,
• wherein the process further comprises:
• increasing an intensity of the warning as an elapsed time from the notification of the hands-on request becomes longer,
• stopping the warning even if the driver does not hold the steering wheel when the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied while the intensity of the warning is a first strength, and
• continuing the warning until the driver holds the steering wheel even if the predetermined warning condition is no longer satisfied while the intensity of the warning is a second strength stronger than the first strength.