When you are overtaking cars keep accelerating round the corner and take the outside of the road as its width coupled with engine braking is enough to stay on the road and emerge ahead
Engaging low gear can be a more effective way of avoiding collisions than braking as it takes you to a manageable speed and allows you to focus on swerving
The worst place to crash is near the exit as it may make it difficult or impossible to get across the road onto the optimum section
You can pause the game and view the map so use this to your advantage to prevent using wasteful routes