Method of controlling the speed and/or the distance for motor vehicles

A method of controlling the speed and/or the distance for motor vehicles having distance-controlled cruise control systems, comprising the acts of:

• detecting a target object driving ahead of a vehicle having a sensor unit for determining data of the target object;
• determining at least a distance of the target object driving ahead of the vehicle based on the sensor-determined data;
• determining a swinging-out probability of the target object based at least on the sensor-determined data;
• determining a weighting factor as a function of the swinging-out probability, for weighting a determined distance error;
• determining a desired distance to the target object;
• altering the desired distance as a function of the swinging-out probability and the weighing factor;
• and
• outputting at least one of desired acceleration and desired deceleration values to the vehicle to adjust the distance to the target object to the altered desired distance,
• wherein
• as the swinging-out probability rises, the altered desired distance is reduced, and
• the altered desired distance is limited to a predefined minimal desired distance.