A vehicle control apparatus includes an accelerator-state detecting section configured to detect an accelerator manipulating state of a driver; a traveling-path-condition detecting section configured to detect a condition of a traveling path of a host vehicle; a brake control section configured to cause the host vehicle to automatically generate a braking force; and a control unit configured to control the brake control section on the basis of an input from the accelerator-state detecting section. The control unit is configured to actuate the brake control section in a case where the accelerator-state detecting section detects a decrease of a manipulated variable of the accelerator or an off-state of the accelerator and also where the traveling-path-condition detecting section detects a target object for speed reduction on the traveling path.