Abstract: A vehicle strengthening member includes a top wall and a pair of lateral walls so that the vehicle strengthening member has a hat-shaped cross section. The vehicle strengthening member further includes a plurality of bend portions each of which is bent along a fold line extending in a transverse direction so that the vehicle strengthening member is curved as a whole. The top wall includes a recess extending in a longitudinal direction along a center of the top wall. The top wall also includes a pair of ridges extending in the longitudinal direction on lateral sides of the recess. The top wall further includes at least one raised bead formed in the recess at a position corresponding to each of the bend portions, each raised bead extending in the transverse direction. Each raised bead comprises ends, each of which is joined to a side of the ridge.