Accelerometer sensor inside a car
An accelerometer requires integration over time to get velocity and integration again for position.   But without any motion is subject to thermal bias and/or dc offsets so errors can accumulate in velocity when stopped and even more with position after the 2nd integration.  Thus Accelerometers often are not specified to have a DC response but it may be very low such as 0.01Hz.  In other words this low frequency period is an indication during 1 cycle where position errors can become significant.  

An odometer might have a speed error with under or oversized tires, but there is never a position error penalty for time as in the case with accelerometers.

One such MEMS system used for short distances was adequate for a robotic application for short durations.  It had a 2g range using Kalman Filters to reduce random noise and achieved these results during accelerated motion measured in milli-g's. [mg]


Velocity error = 0.589 m/s per mg per min
Position error = 17.66 m per mg per min 


ref: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1008113324758