A method and an apparatus for lane recognition for a vehicle that is equipped with an adaptive distance and speed control system are provided, the adaptive distance and speed controller having conveyed to it, using an object detection system, the relative speed of detected objects, a variable for determining the lateral offset of the detected objects with respect to the longitudinal vehicle axis, and the speed of the host vehicle. From the relative speed of the objects and the host-vehicle speed, a determination is made as to whether an object is oncoming, stationary, or moving in the same direction as the host vehicle. In combination with the calculated lateral offset of the detected object with respect to the longitudinal vehicle axis, the number of lanes present and the lane currently being traveled in by the host vehicle are determined.