A vehicle control apparatus, comprising: a body portion comprising an outer frame forming an external appearance of a vehicle and comprising an inner frame formed to allow a user to enter the vehicle; a steering wheel mounted in the body portion and formed to be rotatable by a central axis to control a movement direction of the vehicle; a sensing unit configured to sense a user's input on at least one sensing region (500a, 500b) formed on at least part of the steering wheel, wherein the at least one sensing region where the user's input is sensed is activated; a display unit configured to display visual information; an audio output unit; and a controller configured to cause the operation of at least one function configured to be executed in the vehicle based on at least one of a location of the at least one sensing region on which the user's input is sensed or the user's input to the at least one sensing region, wherein the controller is configured to: deactivate the activated at least one sensing region if a deactivation condition is satisfied, wherein the deactivation condition differs according to at least one of the location of the at least one sensing region or characteristics of a function corresponding to the at least one sensing region; control the display unit to limit the display of the visual information when the at least one sensing region is deactivated; output auditory information with respect to the deactivated at least one sensing region through the audio output unit; maintain the deactivated at least one sensing region deactivated until a preset activation pattern input is entered; and activate the deactivated at least one sensing region when the preset activation pattern input is entered. a body portion comprising an outer frame forming an external appearance of a vehicle and comprising an inner frame formed to allow a user to enter the vehicle; a steering wheel mounted in the body portion and formed to be rotatable by a central axis to control a movement direction of the vehicle; a sensing unit configured to sense a user's input on at least one sensing region (500a, 500b) formed on at least part of the steering wheel, wherein the at least one sensing region where the user's input is sensed is activated; a display unit configured to display visual information; an audio output unit; and a controller configured to cause the operation of at least one function configured to be executed in the vehicle based on at least one of a location of the at least one sensing region on which the user's input is sensed or the user's input to the at least one sensing region, wherein the controller is configured to: deactivate the activated at least one sensing region if a deactivation condition is satisfied, wherein the deactivation condition differs according to at least one of the location of the at least one sensing region or characteristics of a function corresponding to the at least one sensing region; control the display unit to limit the display of the visual information when the at least one sensing region is deactivated; output auditory information with respect to the deactivated at least one sensing region through the audio output unit; maintain the deactivated at least one sensing region deactivated until a preset activation pattern input is entered; and activate the deactivated at least one sensing region when the preset activation pattern input is entered. deactivate the activated at least one sensing region if a deactivation condition is satisfied, wherein the deactivation condition differs according to at least one of the location of the at least one sensing region or characteristics of a function corresponding to the at least one sensing region; control the display unit to limit the display of the visual information when the at least one sensing region is deactivated; output auditory information with respect to the deactivated at least one sensing region through the audio output unit; maintain the deactivated at least one sensing region deactivated until a preset activation pattern input is entered; and activate the deactivated at least one sensing region when the preset activation pattern input is entered.