It is a tough one when you have to compare the numbers of kids lost in the city to the numbers of kids lost in the country waiting for the school bus.
For the 10 or 20 years the candy manufacturers were pushing for the change it was feared the deaths would increase. I am not sure what the reality has been over the last couple of years.
I do know pedestrian deaths have gone up with the increased use of projector headlights. Regular projector lamps are bad enough at blinding oncoming traffic besides not illuminating as well. So people go out and buy the ultra (bluish white or blue) bulbs that have the point of aim shifted higher. Most of the end users do not have a Torx screw driver to adjust them down, so they just use them as is thinking they can see better. 
Here it is almost a daily occurrence that a pedestrian is run over and killed, when reported on the news, the driver did not see them and was not charged. Happened to a friend, she heard a thump while driving at night, her husband told her to turn around and find out what it was. The man had been hit by at least 2 other cars that did not stop.