Patent ID: 8126625

Claim:
A vehicle drive assist apparatus for assisting in driving a vehicle by varying a drive torque of wheels, comprising: a torque controller configured to increase the drive torque; a step detector configured to detect a step which may exist on a road surface in a traveling direction of the vehicle; and a switch configured to switch a status of control between a first status in which the torque controller is permitted to operate and a second status in which the torque controller is restricted to operate, wherein the switch forms the first status if the step is detected by the step detector, the step detector includes a distance measuring device configured to detect a distance with respect to an object within a detection area which has a shape of a sector in a side view, and if the step detector detects a candidate of the step in said detection area, the step detector makes the detection area smaller such that the detected candidate of the step is not included in the smaller detection area, and the step detector determines whether the detected candidate of the step is a step based on the detection result using the smaller detection area.