Background Multinational corporations (MNCs) can contribute to their employees’ wellness through global interventions aimed at road traffic injury prevention, particularly in high risk settings. The purpose of this study was to understand the road use experiences of employees of a large U.S. MNC in India to inform a globally enacted and locally relevant employee road safety platform.

Methods Surveys and focus group interviews were used to elicit road safety perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of employees in MNC offices in the cities of Bangalore and Pune. Survey responses were analysed to describe demographic, vehicular, and behavioural features of a representative sample of employees. Focus group transcripts were coded to develop a thematic framework that described the road traffic experiences of employees in their local environment and perceptions of interventions that would enhance their safety.

Results Seventy-five employees completed surveys and participated in one of six focus group interviews. Participants considered daily road use to be a dangerous and stressful experience. Roadway danger was attributed to vehicle mix, non-adherence to traffic laws, and transportation infrastructure unequipped for the rate of population and commercial growth. Focus groups identified inconsistencies between employee knowledge of safety strategies and their road use behaviours, and policy-level actions that could be instituted.

Conclusions This study uncovered that an employee road safety intervention for MNC employees in the context of urban India should focus on behaviour change and structural interventions that take into account roadway infrastructure, traffic patterns, and enforcement of traffic policies. It further demonstrates how simple strategies can be used to elicit important contextual road safety factors amoung MNC employees globally in order to identify locally relevant interventions for employee injury prevention.