Yanis Darras 2:00 p.m., March 5, 2024

To encourage its residents to practice regular physical activity, the metropolis of Nantes had the idea of ​​installing... pedestrian radars.

Two terminals measuring the speed of runners have been installed in the city.

The experiment should last all year. 

After indicating to motorists the speed at which they are driving, the educational radar changes to rub shoulders with... pedestrians.

In Nantes, the city has decided to install two radars to allow walkers and runners to know the speed at which they are moving. 

The sprint race

The operation is the same as for cars, but seeks to have the opposite effect: here, runners are invited to do their best sprint in front of the terminal.

The latter will then display the recorded speed, provided it does not exceed 35 km/h. 

Inauguration of the first speed radar for runners on the Ile de Nantes.

An innovation of the call to experiment on global health.

An incentive to sprint alone or with others, a fun device to move and have fun.

https://t.co/vBE7EqbuwPpic.twitter.com/qXicpUOGQH

— Francky TRICHET (@franckytrichet) February 3, 2024

“No one will be flashed” confides to our colleagues at France Bleu, Henri Ternon, who co-manages the Coureurs company, who initiated the creation of the terminal.

The idea was born following the call for projects from Nantes Métropole, with one goal: to encourage the people of Nantes as much as possible to practice physical activity, even though the French still remain too sedentary. 

French people still too sedentary

According to a barometer produced by OpinionWay for the CIC published last week, nearly 45% of French people say they practice less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day, the time recommended by the World Health Organization.

In detail, only 12% of those questioned claimed to have a daily sporting activity. 

The terminals, one installed on the banks of the Erdre, the other at the foot of the yellow crane on the island of Nantes, will remain in service throughout 2024. It remains to be seen whether at the end of the experimentation, the city will decide to extend the system to other sites in the city, or not.