Answer:
There are two views among the scholars regarding roadside assistance. One view is that roadside assistance membership is just like insurance and is not permissible. This is the view of Hazrat Mufti Taqi Usmani sahib (May Allah protect him) (See: Fatawa Usmani: 3/404) and my respected teacher Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai sahib (May Allah protect him). See the following links:
http://askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.php?askid=5fbba51cfaf5e77f1387c9ef26cb6138
http://askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.php?askid=c271ff5fb16b1553fbe66dc8436b6d76
The other view is that roadside assistance membership is not like insurance and is permissible (with conditions). See the following links:
http://www.daruliftaa.com/question?txt_QuestionID=q-18413650
http://www.alqalam.org.uk/UserFiles/File/Breakdown%20Cover%20-%20a%20Discussion.pdf
Based on the two views mentioned above, there would be two views on the permissibility of ambulance membership as well. According to one view, ambulance membership is just like insurance and hence not permissible. According to the other view, ambulance membership is unlike insurance and is permissible.
Of the two views, the first view — i.e. the view of impermissibility — is the safer and more precautionary view.
Mufti Faizal Riza
3/11/2011