Lateral Accelerometer
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Lincoln LS. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The lateral accelerometer measures the acceleration which corresponds to the force required to slide the vehicle sideways. This acceleration comes in two forms. The first is the centrifugal acceleration which is generated when an object 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, so on level ground there is no contribution from this acceleration. However, if the vehicle is parked sideways on a bank or incline, the sensor will measure some lateral acceleration due to gravity even though the vehicle is stationary.