Method for tracking a distant target vehicle in an area surrounding a motor vehicle by means of a collision detection device of the motor vehicle for detecting an impending collision with the target vehicle by fusing radar sensor data from a first surroundings sensor designed as a radar sensor with sensor data from a second surroundings sensor of the collision detection device, wherein the radar sensor and the second surroundings sensor each have capture ranges (7, 8) which overlap in such a way that at least one section of the target vehicle is captured by both surroundings sensors (5, 6), and wherein the method comprises the following steps: - providing radar sensor data and sensor data relating to the target vehicle by means of the radar sensor and the second surroundings sensor, wherein radar reflection points are derived from the radar sensor data and determine a position determined by a distance and an azimuth angle and a Doppler speed of points on the target vehicle, - identifying a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the target vehicle from the radar reflection points, - providing first wheel capture data based on the wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) identified from the radar reflection points, - identifying a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the target vehicle from the sensor data from the second surroundings sensor and providing second wheel capture data based on the wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) identified from the sensor data, - merging the first wheel capture data and the second wheel capture data, and - determining a parameter of the target vehicle based on the merged first and second wheel capture data, characterized in that the identification of a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) comprises placing in each case a two-dimensional window of uniform size and with an extent in the distance dimension and the azimuth angle dimension around each radar reflection point and determining a sum of the variances of the Doppler speeds of all radar reflection points contained in the window and assigning it to the corresponding radar reflection point, and determining a radar reflection point as a point of a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) whose assigned sum is greater than a predefined threshold value. - providing radar sensor data and sensor data relating to the target vehicle by means of the radar sensor and the second surroundings sensor, wherein radar reflection points are derived from the radar sensor data and determine a position determined by a distance and an azimuth angle and a Doppler speed of points on the target vehicle, - identifying a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the target vehicle from the radar reflection points, - providing first wheel capture data based on the wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) identified from the radar reflection points, - identifying a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the target vehicle from the sensor data from the second surroundings sensor and providing second wheel capture data based on the wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) identified from the sensor data, - merging the first wheel capture data and the second wheel capture data, and - determining a parameter of the target vehicle based on the merged first and second wheel capture data, characterized in that the identification of a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) comprises placing in each case a two-dimensional window of uniform size and with an extent in the distance dimension and the azimuth angle dimension around each radar reflection point and determining a sum of the variances of the Doppler speeds of all radar reflection points contained in the window and assigning it to the corresponding radar reflection point, and determining a radar reflection point as a point of a wheel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) whose assigned sum is greater than a predefined threshold value.