Patent ID: 8386146

Claim:
An inter-vehicle distance control apparatus comprising: an information obtaining portion that obtains object detection information from a detection portion that detects a first preceding vehicle ahead of a vehicle, and a second preceding vehicle ahead of the first preceding vehicle; a possible-target-stop-position calculation portion that calculates a first possible target stop position taking into account the first preceding vehicle, and calculates a second possible target stop position taking into account the second preceding vehicle, based on the object detection information; a speed determination portion that determines whether the first preceding vehicle is decelerating, and that determines whether the second preceding vehicle is stopped; and a target-stop-position setting portion that sets a target stop position for the vehicle to one of the first possible target stop position and the second possible target stop position, which is closer to the vehicle than the other of the first possible target stop position and the second possible target stop position is, when the speed determination portion determines the first preceding vehicle is decelerating and the second preceding vehicle is stopped.