Sliding

Given an equal choice between jumping and sliding, I'll normally choose to jump. The problem with sliding under something is that the camera follows you and it's hard to see what's coming, making it easy to get caught in something unexpected.

There are a couple of ways to deal with it. First you can make sure to get a good look at the road ahead before swiping. Knowing exactly what's coming will help you to avoid problems. Even a quick glance can really help.

The other thing you can do is start your slide earlier. If you can time it so that you pop up right after the obstacle, you'll have more time to deal with whatever is coming. Just make sure not to slide too early.

Even though I think jumping is usually safer, if there are coins underneath I'll slide. The trick is to know when things are dangerous enough that you should skip the coins and just jump.