How can automatic type conversions in PHP lead to errors, and what steps can be taken to prevent them?

Automatic type conversions in PHP can lead to errors when unexpected conversions occur, such as when a string is converted to a number in a way that changes its value. To prevent these errors, it is best practice to explicitly cast variables to the desired type before performing operations that may rely on their type.

// Explicitly cast variables to prevent automatic type conversions
$number = (int) $string;