VEHICLE EXTERIOR ENVIRONMENT RECOGNITION APPARATUS

A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus includes a travel path derivation unit, a speed derivation unit, and a follow-up controller. The travel path derivation unit estimates an own-vehicle travel path and derives a target-vehicle travel path that contains a point on a target vehicle and forms a parallel curve to the own-vehicle travel path. The speed derivation unit derives a target-vehicle speed vector. The follow-up controller makes a follow-up control based on the target-vehicle speed vector on the condition that an angle formed by the target-vehicle speed vector and a tangential line to the target-vehicle travel path at the point on the target vehicle falls within a predetermined angular range, and makes the follow-up control based on a tangential speed component of the target-vehicle speed vector on the condition that the angle falls out of the angular range.