One of the only true "must haves" in a baby's world is a car seat.
YES! Car seats for infants or toddler.
However few things are common sense.
Holding a baby on your lap will not help in a crash, even at just speed of 45 kilometers per hour. Even if you were wearing a seat-belt the child would be pulled from your arms by the force of the collision.
You simply wouldn't be able to hold on to the child, no matter how hard you tried, and that could be really fatal.
The bottom line is that the safest way for children to travel by car is in a car seat that is suitable for their weight and size.
There should not be a compromise.
If you can afford a car then it's fair to assume that you can afford a car seat for your baby.