A method for automatically detecting a passing maneuver or an evasive maneuver of a motor vehicle, in which - a vehicle environment is captured and an electronic image is produced thereof, - the electronic image is used to detect a lane and/or a road as well as a vehicle ahead and an oncoming vehicle as objects (B, C) in the surroundings of the vehicle, and - longitudinal and transverse dynamic movement information ( Ψ &, α y, δ H, ω FL, ω FR, ω RL, ω RR) of the motor vehicle is determined, characterized in that a) the position of the motor vehicle is odometrically estimated on the basis of the data (b Lane, y Lane, θ, c 0) from the lane and/or road detection and from the movement information ( Ψ &, α y, δ H, ω FL, ω FR, ω RL, ω RR) of the motor vehicle, b) the following indicator variables are formed from the estimated position data of the motor vehicle: - a lateral distance value (LO L, LO R) of the motor vehicle from a road or line marking, - a time-to-collision value (TTC A,B) relative to a distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as an object located in the driving direction, taking account of the relative acceleration (α rel), - a longitudinal dynamic passing or evasive indicator, formed from the indicator variable (TTC A,B) of the time-to-collision value and a value corresponding to the position of the gas pedal of the motor vehicle, and - a temporal distance dimension ( τ) as a quotient from the distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as a stationary or moving object located in the driving direction and the speed (v) of the motor vehicle, and c) threshold values (I th, TTC A, B,th, τ th) are determined for said indicator variables (LO L, LO R, TTC A,B, I, τ), which are used as criteria both for detecting partial maneuvers of a passing or an evasive process, in particular of a following process, a lane change, passing the stationary or moving object and swinging into the lane of the passed object and for detecting transitions between said partial maneuvers. - a vehicle environment is captured and an electronic image is produced thereof, - the electronic image is used to detect a lane and/or a road as well as a vehicle ahead and an oncoming vehicle as objects (B, C) in the surroundings of the vehicle, and - longitudinal and transverse dynamic movement information ( Ψ &, α y, δ H, ω FL, ω FR, ω RL, ω RR) of the motor vehicle is determined, a) the position of the motor vehicle is odometrically estimated on the basis of the data (b Lane, y Lane, θ, c 0) from the lane and/or road detection and from the movement information ( Ψ &, α y, δ H, ω FL, ω FR, ω RL, ω RR) of the motor vehicle, b) the following indicator variables are formed from the estimated position data of the motor vehicle: - a lateral distance value (LO L, LO R) of the motor vehicle from a road or line marking, - a time-to-collision value (TTC A,B) relative to a distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as an object located in the driving direction, taking account of the relative acceleration (α rel), - a longitudinal dynamic passing or evasive indicator, formed from the indicator variable (TTC A,B) of the time-to-collision value and a value corresponding to the position of the gas pedal of the motor vehicle, and - a temporal distance dimension ( τ) as a quotient from the distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as a stationary or moving object located in the driving direction and the speed (v) of the motor vehicle, and - a lateral distance value (LO L, LO R) of the motor vehicle from a road or line marking, - a time-to-collision value (TTC A,B) relative to a distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as an object located in the driving direction, taking account of the relative acceleration (α rel), - a longitudinal dynamic passing or evasive indicator, formed from the indicator variable (TTC A,B) of the time-to-collision value and a value corresponding to the position of the gas pedal of the motor vehicle, and - a temporal distance dimension ( τ) as a quotient from the distance (d) from the vehicle ahead as a stationary or moving object located in the driving direction and the speed (v) of the motor vehicle, and c) threshold values (I th, TTC A, B,th, τ th) are determined for said indicator variables (LO L, LO R, TTC A,B, I, τ), which are used as criteria both for detecting partial maneuvers of a passing or an evasive process, in particular of a following process, a lane change, passing the stationary or moving object and swinging into the lane of the passed object and for detecting transitions between said partial maneuvers.