Patent ID: 7965224

Claim:
A running control system for a vehicle comprising: a radar device mounted in a subject vehicle which emits a laser beam to detect a distance between the subject vehicle and a preceding vehicle located forward of the subject vehicle in an advancing direction of the subject vehicle; a vehicle speed sensor which detects a vehicle speed of the subject vehicle; transmission output control means which sets a laser beam intensity transmission output of the radar device to a stopping time transmission output lower than a running time transmission output when the detected vehicle speed of the subject vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value that indicates a substantially stopped state; following running control means which performs following running control toward the preceding vehicle based on a detection result by the radar device; and notification means which notifies an occupant of the subject vehicle that the following running control is possible when the radar device detects an increase in the distance between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle during stoppage of the subject vehicle, or when the distance between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle detected by the radar device during stoppage of the subject vehicle is greater than a predetermined value, wherein the transmission output control means increases the laser beam intensity transmission output of the radar device to be higher than the stopping time transmission output after notification by the notification means.