An environment recognizing device for a vehicle, comprising: an image acquisition section for acquiring an image taken around an own vehicle; a first vehicle candidate region detection section for detecting a first vehicle candidate region from the image using image gradient information, wherein the first vehicle candidate region detection section is a vehicle external shape detection section for detecting a vehicle external shape; a second vehicle candidate region detection section for detecting a second vehicle candidate region from the image using image color information, wherein the second vehicle candidate region detection section is a vehicle taillight detection section for detecting a vehicle taillight; and a vehicle pattern detection section configured to execute pattern recognition on the result of the first vehicle candidate region detection section; and a first vehicle determination section for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle using the result of the vehicle pattern detection section and a second vehicle determination section for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle using the first vehicle candidate region and the second vehicle candidate region; and a determination and selection section for selecting any of the first vehicle candidate determined by the first vehicle determination section and the second vehicle candidate determined by the second vehicle determination section; and an illumination determination section for determining illumination of an environment, characterized by wherein the determination and selection section selects no output if the illumination is low, the second vehicle candidate if the illumination is slightly low and the first vehicle candidate if the illumination is high; a first output section for outputting a selection result of the determination and selection section, as a detected vehicle; wherein the second vehicle determination section is configured to: determine whether a region of the first vehicle candidate region and second vehicle candidate region overlap with each other, and in case it is determined that the regions overlap, the second vehicle determination section is further configured to detect the motion of the regions of the first vehicle candidate region and second vehicle candidate region by calculating motion vectors and to determine based on the motion vectors if the motions match, so that the region in which the first vehicle candidate region and the second vehicle candidate region overlap with each other and move in synchronization, is determined as a vehicle. an image acquisition section for acquiring an image taken around an own vehicle; a first vehicle candidate region detection section for detecting a first vehicle candidate region from the image using image gradient information, wherein the first vehicle candidate region detection section is a vehicle external shape detection section for detecting a vehicle external shape; a second vehicle candidate region detection section for detecting a second vehicle candidate region from the image using image color information, wherein the second vehicle candidate region detection section is a vehicle taillight detection section for detecting a vehicle taillight; and a vehicle pattern detection section configured to execute pattern recognition on the result of the first vehicle candidate region detection section; and a first vehicle determination section for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle using the result of the vehicle pattern detection section and a second vehicle determination section for determining the presence or absence of a vehicle using the first vehicle candidate region and the second vehicle candidate region; and a determination and selection section for selecting any of the first vehicle candidate determined by the first vehicle determination section and the second vehicle candidate determined by the second vehicle determination section; and an illumination determination section for determining illumination of an environment, characterized by wherein the determination and selection section selects no output if the illumination is low, the second vehicle candidate if the illumination is slightly low and the first vehicle candidate if the illumination is high; a first output section for outputting a selection result of the determination and selection section, as a detected vehicle; wherein the second vehicle determination section is configured to: determine whether a region of the first vehicle candidate region and second vehicle candidate region overlap with each other, and in case it is determined that the regions overlap, the second vehicle determination section is further configured to detect the motion of the regions of the first vehicle candidate region and second vehicle candidate region by calculating motion vectors and to determine based on the motion vectors if the motions match, so that the region in which the first vehicle candidate region and the second vehicle candidate region overlap with each other and move in synchronization, is determined as a vehicle.