Method for classifying an object in a lateral surrounding area of a motor vehicle, in which a signal is transmitted into the lateral surrounding area by a sensor device on-board the vehicle for monitoring the lateral surrounding area and the signal reflected at the object is received by said sensor device, wherein a monitoring area of the sensor device for monitoring the lateral surrounding area is segmented into a first detection area and a second detection area, characterized in that received signal components of the signal reflected by the object are allocated to the respective detection area (E1, E2), depending on the angle from which the reflected signal component of the signal arrives at the sensor device, wherein a first value for a distance (A L) from the object to the motor vehicle is defined on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the first detection area, and a radial speed of the object is detected on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the first detection area and, if the detected radial speed corresponds to an expected value for the radial speed of a stationary object located laterally in relation to the motor vehicle, said expected value being predefined for at least one angle within the first detection area, the detected object is identified as such, and a second value for the distance (A L) from the object to the motor vehicle is determined on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the second detection area, and it is defined on the basis of the first value and the second value for the distance (A L) whether the object defined as a stationary object is a stationary object longitudinally extended in a longitudinal direction (R L) of the vehicle. wherein a monitoring area of the sensor device for monitoring the lateral surrounding area is segmented into a first detection area and a second detection area, characterized in that received signal components of the signal reflected by the object are allocated to the respective detection area (E1, E2), depending on the angle from which the reflected signal component of the signal arrives at the sensor device, wherein a first value for a distance (A L) from the object to the motor vehicle is defined on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the first detection area, and a radial speed of the object is detected on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the first detection area and, if the detected radial speed corresponds to an expected value for the radial speed of a stationary object located laterally in relation to the motor vehicle, said expected value being predefined for at least one angle within the first detection area, the detected object is identified as such, and a second value for the distance (A L) from the object to the motor vehicle is determined on the basis of the signal component of the signal received from the second detection area, and it is defined on the basis of the first value and the second value for the distance (A L) whether the object defined as a stationary object is a stationary object longitudinally extended in a longitudinal direction (R L) of the vehicle.