Inter-vehicle distance control apparatus

An inter-vehicle distance control apparatus configured to detect a preceding vehicle in front of a vehicle having the inter-vehicle distance control apparatus installed, and to control an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, comprising:

• a distance obtainment unit configured to set one or more reflecting parts of the preceding vehicle as target objects, and to obtain distances between the respective target objects and the vehicle;
• a target object identification unit configured to identify a least-distant target object having a least distance among the distances;
• a difference value recording unit configured to record a difference between the distance to the least-distant target object identified by the target object identification unit, and the distance to each of the other target objects;
• and
• a distance correction unit configured to correct the distance between a currently least-distant target object and the vehicle, by subtracting the difference recorded in a past for the least-distant target object, from the distance of the currently least-distant target object, when getting close within a predetermined distance to the least-distant target identified as having the least distance by the target object identification unit, before the target object identification unit identifies the currently least-distant target object.