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windshield survey

American  
[wind-sheeld sur-vey, win-] / ˈwɪndˌʃild ˌsɜr veɪ, ˈwɪn- /

noun

  1. an assessment of something in a community, such as housing, infrastructure, or proximity to hospitals, that is made quickly by driving through the assessment area.

    A windshield survey can be done relatively easily and inexpensively, but can’t capture much detail.

    The advocacy group did a windshield survey of the city to determine how many unhoused people were sleeping on the streets.


Etymology

Origin of windshield survey

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That’s a huge number that can’t be understood or appreciated from a windshield survey.

From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2017