Control system and control method for driving a motor vehicle and for avoiding a collision with another motor vehicle

A control system which is adapted for use in an own motor vehicle (ego) and intended to identify motor vehicles driving in front, next to and/or behind and preferably objects standing in front, on the basis of environmental data obtained from at least one environmental sensor associated with the own motor vehicle (ego), wherein the at least one environmental sensor is adapted to provide an electronic controller of the control system with the environmental data representing an area in front of, next to and/or behind the own motor vehicle, and wherein the control system is at least adapted and intended to

• detect from the environmental data another motor vehicle (alter1, alter2, alter3) participating in traffic in front of the own motor vehicle (ego) as reference vehicle relative to the own motor vehicle (ego) by means of the at least one environmental sensor both on a lane on which the own motor vehicle (ego) is also travelling and on a neighbouring lane with slower traffic than the own motor vehicle (ego), wherein the control system is at least adapted and intended to determine, starting out from a momentary location, the distance and the relative speed with respect to a vehicle driving in front in the slower neighbouring lane,
• receive a signal from a man-machine interface in the own motor vehicle (ego) of a driver's desire for a lane change or a request signal for a lane change or for a merging manoeuvre from the route output of a navigation system,
• determine whether a lane change is possible within predetermined limits from the distance and the relative speed with respect to the vehicle driving in front in the slower neighbouring lane, and
• if this is given, effect a reduction in the driving speed of the own motor vehicle by a braking and/or engine management intervention, in order to enable the driver of the own motor vehicle (ego) to change lane to the slower lane.