A method is provided for increasing the safety of a vehicle, a region about the vehicle being scanned and a distance between at least one location on the vehicle and a physical limit of this region is measured in at least one direction. Subsequently, it is checked whether the distance exceeds a specifiable threshold value and finally, a warning signal is output and/or the vehicle is braked, if the result of the checking is positive. Moreover, a central processing unit for a corresponding driver assistance system and a driver assistance system are provided.