Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle installed with an automatic transmission having an inhibit function, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• an automatic return selector to receive an operation for selecting an operating condition of the automatic transmission and to output a selection signal corresponding to a received selection operation;
• a switch to switch the operating condition of the automatic transmission in accordance with the selection signal output by the selector;
• a determining unit to determine, based on the selection signal output by the selector, whether or not the selector has been operated consecutively at least a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period while the vehicle travels, and to output an emergency operation signal when determining that the selector has been operated consecutively;
• and
• a brake unit apply braking to the vehicle based on an operation by a driver and the emergency operation signal output by the determining unit,
• wherein the determining unit outputs the emergency operation signal when determining that selecting an identical operating condition, from among a plurality of ones of the operating condition that are selectable by the selector, has been performed consecutively at least the predetermined number of times within the predetermined period, and
• wherein the determining unit outputs the emergency operation signal when determining that selecting a reverse condition has been performed consecutively at least the predetermined number of times within the predetermined period during a forward travel.