Patent attributes
A vehicle control device comprises an operation amount sensor for measuring an operation amount of an accelerator element, an object sensor for detecting an object ahead of a vehicle, and a controller for applying a normal operation drive force which is determined depending on the operation amount to the vehicle. The controller executes an adaptive cruise control for applying a drive force required for an acceleration of the vehicle to become equal to an adaptive cruise control acceleration to the vehicle. The adaptive cruise control acceleration is an acceleration which increases as a difference between an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to an objective-forward-vehicle and a target inter-vehicle distance increases. When an erroneous operation start condition becomes satisfied, the controller ends the adaptive cruise control, and executes an erroneous operation related control for applying a drive force which is smaller than the normal operation drive force to the vehicle.