Sometimes when I'm driving my car, I play a "game" against myself in which I try to minimize the deceleration felt by passengers (including myself) while still braking in a reasonable short space. I do know that the deceleration felt is not only dependent on what distance you're travelling until you reach a full stop, but also a function of velocity over time, or the "easing" with which you're braking.
Now, I do know this is an effect that has been studied and successfully applied. Not so long ago, I visited a hotel in which the elevator took me up 43 stories in about 20 seconds, with just a slight feeling of accelerating when starting and decelerating when stopping.
So, which is the trick? Which is the correct way to accelerate/decelerate to minimize acceleration perception while still maximizing distance traveled and maximum speed?
(Disclaimer: Please don't kill yourself by playing with your brakes. Safety is first, physics are second.)