Vehicle control apparatus

1. A vehicle control apparatus, comprising:

at least one sensor which detects own vehicle forward information on a situation ahead of an own vehicle; and

an electronic control unit configured to execute a steering control for avoiding a collision of the own vehicle with an object recognized, based on the own vehicle forward information,

wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

determine that a control start condition is satisfied when the at least one sensor detects the object in an area of a moving route of the own vehicle;

determine that a control forbidding condition is satisfied only when the at least one sensor detects an oncoming vehicle which satisfies a predetermined moving condition, the predetermined moving condition being that the at least one sensor detects that the oncoming vehicle moves in an oncoming lane next to a moving lane of the own vehicle and approaches the own vehicle both at an initial detection and at a second detection, the second detection taking place when a second time period elapses from the initial detection;

determine that a forbidding cancelling condition is satisfied when a first time period elapses since the electronic control unit determines that the oncoming vehicle satisfying the predetermined moving condition disappears after the electronic control unit determines that the control forbidding condition is satisfied;

execute the steering control without delay when the control start condition is satisfied, and the control forbidding condition is not satisfied; and

execute the steering control with delay when the control start condition is satisfied, the control forbidding condition is satisfied, and the forbidding cancelling condition is satisfied;

wherein the second time period is a time period sufficient to prevent the electronic control unit from mistakenly determining that the oncoming vehicle is present when the oncoming vehicles actually is not present.

2. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined moving condition includes a condition that a distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle in a direction which the moving lane of the own vehicle extends, is equal to or shorter than a first distance.

3. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined moving condition includes a condition that a moving speed of the oncoming vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.

4. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined moving condition includes a condition that a distance between (i) a lane marking separating the moving lane of the own vehicle from the oncoming lane and (ii) the oncoming vehicle, is equal to or longer than a second distance.

5. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

set a route of moving the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle to the object as a recommended route when the control start condition is satisfied; and

execute the steering control so as to assist operations to a steering wheel of the own vehicle performed by a driver of the own vehicle to move the own vehicle along the recommended route.

6. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined moving condition includes (i) a condition that the recommended route is a route passing a right side of the object, and the oncoming lane is next to and on a right side of the moving lane of the own vehicle and (ii) a condition that the recommended route is a route passing a left side of the object, and the oncoming lane is next to and on a left side of the moving lane of the own vehicle.

7. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:

set a route of moving the own vehicle for avoiding the collision of the own vehicle to the object as a target route when the control start condition is satisfied; and

execute the steering control so as to move the own vehicle along the target route.

8. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the predetermined moving condition includes (i) a condition that the target route is a route passing a right side of the object, and the oncoming lane is next to and on a right side of the moving lane of the own vehicle and (ii) a condition that the target route is a route passing a left side of the object, and the oncoming lane is next to and on a left side of the moving lane of the own vehicle.

9. The vehicle control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second time period is less than the first time period.