A driving assistance apparatus comprising a GPS, a map database, an operation unit, a sensing device (13, 14) and a scene understanding device, wherein the sensing device (13, 14) is mounted on a host vehicle and for detecting obstacles (49,52,53); the scene understanding device determines a degree of risk at a specific spot where the host vehicle would otherwise bump into another vehicle or a pedestrian, and comprises: a route calculator that calculates a scheduled traveling route from the current position of the host vehicle measured by the GPS to a destination received by the operation unit and obtains route data on the scheduled traveling route of the host vehicle; a map obtaining unit that obtains map data on the scheduled traveling route from the map database where obstacle detection frames (42, 42') shaped corresponding to a road structure of the specific spot, which are regions for detecting an obstacle (49, 52, 53), are set for the specific spot in advance; a detection frame selector that selects an obstacle detection frame based on the scheduled traveling route from the obstacle detection frames (42, 42') set for the specific spot in advance; an obstacle determination unit that determines whether there exists an obstacle (49, 52, 53) in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector; and a degree-of-risk calculator that calculates the degree of risk at the specific spot based on the determination of whether an obstacle (49, 52, 53) exists in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector. the sensing device (13, 14) is mounted on a host vehicle and for detecting obstacles (49,52,53); the scene understanding device determines a degree of risk at a specific spot where the host vehicle would otherwise bump into another vehicle or a pedestrian, and comprises: a route calculator that calculates a scheduled traveling route from the current position of the host vehicle measured by the GPS to a destination received by the operation unit and obtains route data on the scheduled traveling route of the host vehicle; a map obtaining unit that obtains map data on the scheduled traveling route from the map database where obstacle detection frames (42, 42') shaped corresponding to a road structure of the specific spot, which are regions for detecting an obstacle (49, 52, 53), are set for the specific spot in advance; a detection frame selector that selects an obstacle detection frame based on the scheduled traveling route from the obstacle detection frames (42, 42') set for the specific spot in advance; an obstacle determination unit that determines whether there exists an obstacle (49, 52, 53) in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector; and a degree-of-risk calculator that calculates the degree of risk at the specific spot based on the determination of whether an obstacle (49, 52, 53) exists in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector. a route calculator that calculates a scheduled traveling route from the current position of the host vehicle measured by the GPS to a destination received by the operation unit and obtains route data on the scheduled traveling route of the host vehicle; a map obtaining unit that obtains map data on the scheduled traveling route from the map database where obstacle detection frames (42, 42') shaped corresponding to a road structure of the specific spot, which are regions for detecting an obstacle (49, 52, 53), are set for the specific spot in advance; a detection frame selector that selects an obstacle detection frame based on the scheduled traveling route from the obstacle detection frames (42, 42') set for the specific spot in advance; an obstacle determination unit that determines whether there exists an obstacle (49, 52, 53) in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector; and a degree-of-risk calculator that calculates the degree of risk at the specific spot based on the determination of whether an obstacle (49, 52, 53) exists in the obstacle detection frame selected by the detection frame selector.