We present a new local method for collision avoidance that is based on collision prediction. In our model, each pedestrian predicts possible future collisions with other pedestrians and then makes an efficient move to avoid them. Experiments show that the new approach leads to considerably shorter and less curved paths, ensuring smooth avoidance behaviour and visually compelling simulations. The method reproduces emergent behaviour like lane formation that have been observed in real crowds. The technique is easy to implement and is fast, allowing the simulation in real time of crowds of thousands of pedestrians.