This vehicle control device shifts between a plurality of control states with different degrees of driving assistance on the basis of information on the periphery of a vehicle to control vehicle travel, the vehicle control device comprising an acquisition unit that acquires the information on the periphery of the vehicle and a control unit that controls state shifting and the action of a brake of the vehicle on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit. If it is determined, on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit, that another vehicle straddling lanes is present ahead in a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the control unit shifts from a first control state set for the vehicle travel to a second control state with a lower degree of driving assistance and controls the action of the brake of the vehicle according to whether or not the distance in the vehicle-width direction between the other vehicle and the vehicle has exceeded a threshold value.