Apparatus and method for controlling lane change considering priority

An apparatus for controlling a lane change, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory configured to store program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform:
• checking an object vehicle which is being driven on a region of interest lane based on received information from a sensor;
• checking whether or not the object vehicle has a collision possibility that attempts to change a lane from the interest lane to a target lane based on a transverse position variation of the object vehicle or received information from the object vehicle, when an ego-vehicle attempts to change a lane from an ego-lane on which the ego-vehicle is being driven to the target lane;
• and
• determining a priority vehicle that first performs the lane change among the ego-vehicle and the object vehicle, based on at least one of accessibility to the target lane of the ego-vehicle and the object vehicle when there is the object vehicle, and accessibility to a join point when the object vehicle or the ego-vehicle is positioned on a lane to be joined.