How to Avoid an Argument at the Dinner Table

I've had so many family arguments at restaurants, it's awkward. What can you do in these awkward situations? Do you just deflate the situation? And yeah, I've had the odd dinner party where friends that have disagreed fairly vehemently about something and you steer the conversation away. You hope that all the other guests who are not involved pick up on the fact that you want the conversation to steer away. Anything that makes anyone else feel uncomfortable should be steered off-way. Sex-money-politics-health-religion. Oh, God, that's a lot. Why don't you talk about health? I said health. Well done. Not health. Because... I'm learning