A driver assistance system in a motor vehicle includes an electronically controllable braking system and a control unit assigned to this braking system and connected with an operating element also assigned to the braking system. The operating element, when correspondingly actuated, can initiate an automatic braking function in the form of a normal braking by use of the electronically controllable braking system independently of the actuation of the brake pedal. The control unit is operatively configured such that, when the operating element is continuously actuated beyond a predefined minimum duration, an emergency braking function can be initiated.