Vehicle control device, storage medium storing computer program for vehicle control, and method for controlling vehicle

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:

a processor configured to

estimate an age of a driver based on a facial image representing a face of the driver of a vehicle,

based on a determination that the age of the driver is above a predetermined reference age, calculate a distance between the vehicle and a moving object detected based on a front image representing a state ahead of the vehicle,

determine whether the distance between the vehicle and the moving object is below a predetermined reference distance,

based on the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, determine whether a speed of the vehicle is above a second reference speed,

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restrict a reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle,

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle not being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restrict the speed of the vehicle to below a first reference speed, and

based on the age of the driver not being above the reference age, do not restrict the reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle and do not restrict the speed of the vehicle to below the first reference speed.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to change the second reference speed according to the current speed of the vehicle.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to change the degree of restriction on the reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle, according to the current speed of the vehicle.

4 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for vehicle control, which causes a processor to execute a process and the process comprises:

estimating an age of a driver based on a facial image representing a face of the driver of a vehicle;

based on a determination that the age of the driver is above a predetermined reference age, calculating a distance between the vehicle and a moving object detected based on a front image representing a state ahead of the vehicle;

determining whether the distance between the vehicle and the moving object is below a predetermined reference distance;

based on the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, determine whether a speed of the vehicle is above a second reference speed,

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restricting a reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle;

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle not being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restricting the speed of the vehicle to below a first reference speed; and

based on the age of the driver not being above the reference age, not restricting the reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle and not restricting the speed of the vehicle to below the first reference speed.

5 . A method for controlling a vehicle, which is carried out by a vehicle control device and the method comprises:

estimating an age of a driver based on a facial image representing a face of the driver of a vehicle;

based on a determination that the age of the driver is above a predetermined reference age, calculating a distance between the vehicle and a moving object detected based on a front image representing a state ahead of the vehicle;

determining whether the distance between the vehicle and the moving object is below a predetermined reference distance;

based on the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, determine whether a speed of the vehicle is above a second reference speed,

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restricting a reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle;

based on (i) the speed of the vehicle not being above the second reference speed, (ii) the distance between the moving object and the vehicle being below the reference distance, and (iii) the age of the driver being above the reference age, restricting the speed of the vehicle to below a first reference speed; and

based on the age of the driver not being above the reference age, not restricting the reflection of accelerating operation by the driver for acceleration of the vehicle in traveling of the vehicle and not restricting the speed of the vehicle to below the first reference speed.