Vehicle Control Method and Vehicle Control Device

A vehicle control method for causing an own vehicle to stop in a way that an interval between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle coincides with a predetermined target distance includes: determining whether or not there is a crossing within a predetermined distance from the own vehicle ahead of the own vehicle and a traveling road on which the own vehicle travels includes a target lane in which a vehicle travels in the same direction as the own vehicle and an opposite lane; detecting a leading vehicle in the target lane in a section up to the crossing as a target vehicle and determining whether or not the own vehicle is a following vehicle positioned immediately behind the target vehicle; and when the own vehicle is a following vehicle, setting the target distance longer than the target distance when the own vehicle is not a following vehicle.