A driving assistance apparatus that assists in driving a vehicle , the driving assistance apparatus comprising: an information acquisition section that acquires a speed of a preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle , and a following distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle; a table that prestores a degree of urgency corresponding to the relative speed and the following distance; and a control section that outputs a control signal for controlling a main / service brake based on the information acquired by the information acquisition section and the degree of urgency stored in the table , wherein, the control section is configured to: (i) determine a target acceleration/deceleration based on the distance to the preceding vehicle and the speed of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle , (ii) calculate a gradient of the target acceleration/deceleration, using the degree of urgency read from the table ; (iii) generate the control signal for the main / service brake having the gradient; (iv) actuate an engine brake when the target acceleration / deceleration is equal to or less than a first threshold; (v) actuate an auxiliary brake when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a second threshold less than the first threshold; and (vi) actuate the main / service brake by controlling a brake pressure according to the control signal when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a third threshold less than the first threshold and the second threshold. an information acquisition section that acquires a speed of a preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle , and a following distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle; a table that prestores a degree of urgency corresponding to the relative speed and the following distance; and a control section that outputs a control signal for controlling a main / service brake based on the information acquired by the information acquisition section and the degree of urgency stored in the table , wherein, the control section is configured to: (i) determine a target acceleration/deceleration based on the distance to the preceding vehicle and the speed of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle , (ii) calculate a gradient of the target acceleration/deceleration, using the degree of urgency read from the table ; (iii) generate the control signal for the main / service brake having the gradient; (iv) actuate an engine brake when the target acceleration / deceleration is equal to or less than a first threshold; (v) actuate an auxiliary brake when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a second threshold less than the first threshold; and (vi) actuate the main / service brake by controlling a brake pressure according to the control signal when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a third threshold less than the first threshold and the second threshold. (i) determine a target acceleration/deceleration based on the distance to the preceding vehicle and the speed of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle , (ii) calculate a gradient of the target acceleration/deceleration, using the degree of urgency read from the table ; (iii) generate the control signal for the main / service brake having the gradient; (iv) actuate an engine brake when the target acceleration / deceleration is equal to or less than a first threshold; (v) actuate an auxiliary brake when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a second threshold less than the first threshold; and (vi) actuate the main / service brake by controlling a brake pressure according to the control signal when the target acceleration/deceleration is equal to or less than a third threshold less than the first threshold and the second threshold. <EOS>