Despite it often being called "cheating" or "avoiding" Death, this is incorrect as evidence throughout the series seems to indicate that Death seems to have planned for the survivors to escape as they were supposed to die later and the visions were to help them get to that right place at said right time. It has been highly suggested that Death essentially programs the events of a person's entire lifespan, ultimately deciding where, when, and how they will die. Should anyone deviate or "cheat" from what Death has set for them, whether deliberately or not, Death will then impart a new design and eventually return for them to seek revenge, usually in the worst, most painful way imaginable, though whether Death is actually malicious or just taking offense at its design being broken is unknown.
Although the character of Death is never seen, in truth it is an entity that wants its design to never be violated. While invisible to people, it nevertheless makes a somewhat noticeable and ominous presence wherever it goes and can manipulate any aspect of an environment to its will. In the Final Destination series, Death (also known as The Grim Reaper) is an active, cunning, volatile, supernatural, personified force, and the series' primary antagonist, though its actual malevolence is debatable. In death, there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps.and no escapes.