DRIVING ASSISTANCE APPARATUS AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE METHOD FOR VEHICLE

In a driving assistance apparatus, an object detecting unit detects an object that is present in a periphery of an own vehicle based on an image captured by an imaging apparatus provided in the own vehicle. An avoidance control unit performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision between the detected object and the own vehicle when a collision between the object and the own vehicle is likely. A light distribution control unit switches irradiated light of an irradiation apparatus provided in the own vehicle between high beam and low beam based on a predetermined switching condition. The light distribution control unit performs switching suppression control to suppress switching of the irradiated light from high beam to low beam while the avoidance control unit is performing collision avoidance control in a case where the irradiated light is set to high beam.