Experiene is the best teacher. Short of that, the advice here is very good. You should ride L A P - Legally, Assertively, and Predictably. Cycling also helps you become a better driver.

Best safety tip, do everything you can do to be seen. Never assume they can see you.

Secondary tip, be predictable in all your actions and act like a vehicle in traffic.

Third tip, don't flip off cars because only bad things can happen when you do that. Knee jerk reactions reward bad drivers and encourage them to keep doing it to all bicyclist they come across.