An overspeed governor including a governor sheave, a permanent magnet rotor coupled to the governor sheave, a stator arranged to interact with the permanent magnet rotor, a safety gear for braking movement of an elevator car and a safety rope fixed to the safety gear and arranged to run via the governor sheave. The stator includes a winding adapted to exert, when energized, to the permanent magnet rotor a braking force that brakes movement of the permanent magnet rotor and, consequently, movement of the governor sheave and the safety rope, thereby activating the safety gear.