Lane change assistance system having a lane change assistance function for a motor vehicle, which is designed to steer the vehicle from a starting lane to a neighbouring adjacent lane in an automated manner in response to a lane change request from the driver in the course of an automated lane change manoeuvre with at least automatic transverse guidance, wherein provision is made for - an indicator light lever, able to be actuated continuously by the driver through a continuous driver operation and in the form of a steering column lever, for triggering an indicator light in the vehicle cockpit and - a surroundings sensor system (7, 13) for acquiring surroundings information with regard at least to the adjacent lane, and the lane change assistance system is designed - to identify initial actuation of the indicator light lever that indicates a driver's lane change request and activates a lane change assistance function, - when the lane change assistance function is activated, to make a decision about initiating a lane change manoeuvre based on surroundings information with regard at least to the adjacent lane, and to repeat this until a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present, - in parallel therewith, to continuously check whether the indicator light lever is still actuated, at least until a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present, - to deactivate the lane change assistance function before initiating a lane change manoeuvre if the actuation of the indicator light lever has been cancelled, - to automatically initiate the lane change manoeuvre if a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present and the indicator light lever is still actuated; and - following initiation of the lane change manoeuvre, to steer the vehicle onto the neighbouring adjacent lane in an automated manner with at least automatic transverse guidance. - an indicator light lever, able to be actuated continuously by the driver through a continuous driver operation and in the form of a steering column lever, for triggering an indicator light in the vehicle cockpit and - a surroundings sensor system (7, 13) for acquiring surroundings information with regard at least to the adjacent lane, and the lane change assistance system is designed - to identify initial actuation of the indicator light lever that indicates a driver's lane change request and activates a lane change assistance function, - when the lane change assistance function is activated, to make a decision about initiating a lane change manoeuvre based on surroundings information with regard at least to the adjacent lane, and to repeat this until a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present, - in parallel therewith, to continuously check whether the indicator light lever is still actuated, at least until a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present, - to deactivate the lane change assistance function before initiating a lane change manoeuvre if the actuation of the indicator light lever has been cancelled, - to automatically initiate the lane change manoeuvre if a positive decision for initiating the lane change manoeuvre is present and the indicator light lever is still actuated; and - following initiation of the lane change manoeuvre, to steer the vehicle onto the neighbouring adjacent lane in an automated manner with at least automatic transverse guidance.