Branch-Lane Entry Judging System

A branch-lane entry judging system comprising:

• traffic-line detecting means configured to detect traffic lines on right and left sides of a vehicle;
• length and width detecting means configured to detect lengths and widths in a traveling direction of the vehicle on a real space of the traffic lines detected by the traffic-line detecting means;
• lane-type judging means configured to judge types of the traffic lines and judge a type of a lane in which the vehicle is running, on the basis of a result of detection performed by the length and width detecting means;
• branch-lane detecting means configured to detect the existence of a branch lane when detecting, on the basis of the result of detection performed by the length and width detecting means, that one of the traffic lines changes from a solid line to a broken line having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, the branch lane existing near the changed traffic line;
• and
• branch-lane entry judging means configured to judge that the vehicle will enter the branch lane when the vehicle moves toward the branch lane or a directional indicator is operated toward the branch lane while the branch-lane detecting means is detecting the branch lane.