Method for controlling a system for regulating a distance between a target vehicle and a follower vehicle, the regulating system being on board the follower vehicle, the method comprising: implementing a control law (cmd) for regulating the distance which computes, for a plurality of possible combinations of travel speeds of the follower vehicle and of the target vehicle, at least the following potential setpoint distances: - a first distance dTimegap computed on the basis of a predetermined time interval tTimegapDist, corresponding to the distance covered by said follower vehicle in said time interval depending on its travel speed vEgo, - a second distance dSafetyDistStop computed depending on the respective travel speeds vEgo and vTarget of the follower and target vehicles and on predetermined deceleration values aEgoSafetyDist and aTargetSafetyDist for said vehicles, said predetermined deceleration values corresponding to the deceleration which said vehicles undergo during emergency braking, - a third distance dSafetyDistColl established on the basis of a predetermined speed of collision with a preceding stationary vehicle, defined with respect to a specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity for such a collision, said third distance being computed depending on the travel speed vEgo of the follower vehicle, on the specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity and on the predetermined deceleration value aEgoSafetyDist for the follower vehicle, - a fourth distance corresponding to a minimum stationary distance of the follower vehicle with respect to the target vehicle, and, for a given combination of travel speeds of the follower and target vehicles from among the plurality of possible combinations, determining a final setpoint distance from among said potential setpoint distances previously computed by means of said control law. implementing a control law (cmd) for regulating the distance which computes, for a plurality of possible combinations of travel speeds of the follower vehicle and of the target vehicle, at least the following potential setpoint distances: - a first distance dTimegap computed on the basis of a predetermined time interval tTimegapDist, corresponding to the distance covered by said follower vehicle in said time interval depending on its travel speed vEgo, - a second distance dSafetyDistStop computed depending on the respective travel speeds vEgo and vTarget of the follower and target vehicles and on predetermined deceleration values aEgoSafetyDist and aTargetSafetyDist for said vehicles, said predetermined deceleration values corresponding to the deceleration which said vehicles undergo during emergency braking, - a third distance dSafetyDistColl established on the basis of a predetermined speed of collision with a preceding stationary vehicle, defined with respect to a specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity for such a collision, said third distance being computed depending on the travel speed vEgo of the follower vehicle, on the specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity and on the predetermined deceleration value aEgoSafetyDist for the follower vehicle, - a fourth distance corresponding to a minimum stationary distance of the follower vehicle with respect to the target vehicle, - a first distance dTimegap computed on the basis of a predetermined time interval tTimegapDist, corresponding to the distance covered by said follower vehicle in said time interval depending on its travel speed vEgo, - a second distance dSafetyDistStop computed depending on the respective travel speeds vEgo and vTarget of the follower and target vehicles and on predetermined deceleration values aEgoSafetyDist and aTargetSafetyDist for said vehicles, said predetermined deceleration values corresponding to the deceleration which said vehicles undergo during emergency braking, - a third distance dSafetyDistColl established on the basis of a predetermined speed of collision with a preceding stationary vehicle, defined with respect to a specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity for such a collision, said third distance being computed depending on the travel speed vEgo of the follower vehicle, on the specified maximum speed vAccidentVelocity and on the predetermined deceleration value aEgoSafetyDist for the follower vehicle, - a fourth distance corresponding to a minimum stationary distance of the follower vehicle with respect to the target vehicle, and, for a given combination of travel speeds of the follower and target vehicles from among the plurality of possible combinations, determining a final setpoint distance from among said potential setpoint distances previously computed by means of said control law.