A pedestrian detecting method including: picking up an image of a scene in front of a vehicle; extracting characteristic points from the picked up image; calculating a velocity at which, and a direction in which, each of pixels representing the respective characteristic points moves in the image; expressing coordinates of each of the pixels in a coordinate system corresponding to an overhead view; determining whether the characteristic points represent a two-dimensional object or a three-dimensional object, and if it is determined that they represent the three-dimensional object, whether or not the three-dimensional object is a moving object, on the basis of the calculated velocity and direction of each of the pixels and the coordinates thereof in the overhead view; and determining whether or not the moving object is a pedestrian on the basis of change in the velocity at which the moving object moves in the image.