Patent ID: 8401736

Claim:
A driving assistance apparatus characterized by comprising: a surrounding environment information obtaining unit that obtains traveling environment information that is information on a traveling environment around a vehicle; a driving assistance unit configured to perform a driving assistance operation that assists a driver of the vehicle in driving the vehicle; and a driving assistance control unit configured to control the driving assistance unit so that the driving assistance operation is performed according to the obtained traveling environment information, and for executing a control so that a level of the driving assistance operation is gradually changed if the level of the driving assistance operation is changed, wherein the driving assistance control unit executes a control so that the level of the driving assistance operation is gradually increased if the level of the driving assistance operation is increased, the driving assistance control unit executes a control so that the level of the driving assistance operation is increased according to a state of a driving operation performed by the driver of the vehicle if the level of the driving assistance operation is increased, and wherein the driving assistance unit executes a plurality of the driving assistance operations; and the driving assistance control unit selects the driving assistance operation whose level is to be increased, from among the plurality of the driving assistance operations, according to a state of a driving operation performed by the driver of the vehicle.