Lateral Accelerometer/Yaw Rate Sensor

The lateral accelerometer measures the acceleration that corresponds to the force involved while the vehicle slides sideways. This acceleration has 2 forms. The first is the centrifugal acceleration generated when the vehicle travels around in a circle. The second is the acceleration due to gravity. The accelerometer only measures the acceleration along the lateral (or sideways) direction of the vehicle. On level ground there is no contribution from this acceleration. However, if the vehicle is parked sideways on a bank or incline, the sensor measures some lateral acceleration due to gravity, even though the vehicle is not moving. The yaw rate sensor (part of the accelerometer) measures the relative vehicle motion about the vertical axis through its center of gravity.