Originally Posted by
1Aturnleft
And what happens if you don't own a car and as such don't own a car seat?
Nothing will happen.
Sure, it's recommended but saying things are mandatory when they are not is quite ridiculous.
My understanding is that if a small child is in his/her own seat, you want a car seat for the same reason that you wouldn't put a child in an adult seat with the regular seatbelt in a car.