Before the carnival parade in Zwartemeer can start, the fifty floats must first pass a technical inspection.
And what do the inspectors pay attention to? “That the generator is not too large, whether the driver has enough visibility, whether there are fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. And the safety of the cars,” says judge Gert-Jan Keurs, also Prince Carnival.
The number of decibels coming from the speakers of the cars is measured and the sound system is adjusted to a maximum of 90 decibels. “That’s not even for the people on the cars. It’s mainly to prevent the public standing on the side from becoming deaf,” says Keurs.
The judges do not look at the beauty of the floats. “That’s what the jury does,” says Keurs.
The makers of the cars are generally well aware of the requirements that the cars must meet. All cars therefore usually pass the inspection.
After an hour, the technical inspection is over and the parade through the village can begin.