There are basically two types of companies that would respond to a call for roadside assistance from one of its members; the type that requires you to call for assistance, or the type that calls you when you may need assistance. 

 

The traditional companies, which offer roadside assistance, are only able to offer assistance when contacted by phone via a toll free number.  Even then, they require you to give them, by phone, an idea of the type of problem being encountered and your location at the time of the problem or shutdown.  So what happens if you do not have a phone on your person at the time in question?  You would be unable to get assistance from your roadside assistance program unless you are able to find a phone (toll free, so you do not need money) to call for assistance.

 

With the advancement of technology however, companies are now able to offer roadside assistance with wireless technologies.  By such techniques, most service providers are able to track you by global positioning systems (GPS) attached to your car. This means that even without a phone, you can contact assistance by enabling your GPS device, which allows you to be tracked.  The downside with this however is that only the newer model cars or series would carry this feature since this technology is only a recent advancement.