Vehicle Control Method and Vehicle Control Device

A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• a sensor that detects a state ahead of a subject vehicle;
• an actuator that gives a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle;
• and
• a controller that controls the actuator, the controller configured to:
• calculate a control steering amount for the actuator to generate the steering amount in accordance with a shift amount in the lateral direction with respect to the travel lane of the subject vehicle;
• execute control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by operating the actuator in accordance with the control steering amount;
• detect, using the sensor, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle and located ahead of the subject vehicle;
• when detecting the other vehicle, increase a response of the steering amount in accordance with the shift amount between the travel trajectory and the target trajectory in a lateral direction to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the detected other vehicle;
• and
• when not detecting the other vehicle, execute control the steering in the ordinary control.