Environment recognizing device for a vehicle and vehicle control system using the same

An environment recognizing device for a vehicle 1000 is provided that can correctly detect a preceding vehicle in a scene, such as for instance the dusk, which is under an illumination condition different from that in the daytime. The device 1000 detects a vehicle external shape while detecting vehicle taillights, and determines a region in which the vehicle external shape and the vehicle taillights move in synchronization, as a vehicle.