Embodiments relate to a speed sensor device including a sensor element to provide a sensor signal, a status module to provide status information of the speed sensor device; and a processing module to generate an output signal. The output signal is derived from the sensor signal, if the status information is indicative of a non-critical state of the speed sensor device, and the output signal is a safety message signal having signal edges such that time intervals between subsequent congeneric signal edges are equal to or shorter than a preselected threshold, if the status in-formation is indicative of a critical state of the speed sensor device. An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) includes an interface for receiving a signal having signal edges from a speed sensor device and a processing unit to analyze time intervals between subsequent congeneric signal edges. The processing unit is configured to determine a non-critical state of the speed sensor device, if the time intervals are higher than a preselected thresh-old, and to determine a critical state of the speed sensor device, if the time intervals between two subsequent congeneric signal edges are equal to or shorter than the preselected threshold.