Duty of care is an essential element in any negligence claim. Whether one party owes a duty to another party depends on their relationship and the circumstances. For instance, a driver on the road generally owes a duty to other drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists to drive as a reasonable, prudent person would drive under similar road, traffic and weather conditions. If the weather is snowy, and the road is icy, a reasonable person would typically avoid driving fast and carelessly.