An overspeed governor for a stairlift includes a governor frame mountable to a carriage of a stairlift. A wheel is engageable with a rail of the stairlift along which the carriage is moveable. Translation of the carriage along the rail is transformed into rotation of the wheel or vice versa. A safety braking device has a braking surface movable between a first position and a third position. In the first position the braking surface is not allowed to engage the rail. A braking member is coupled to the wheel such that when said wheel rotates at a speed at or above a predetermined threshold, the braking member is moved from the first position to the third position. In the third position the braking surface engages said rail with a braking force to stop movement of the carriage along the rail. A soft landing means gradually slows movement of the carriage.