When may you use your amateur radio station to transmit an "SOS" or "MAYDAY"?

The distress signals "SOS" (in Morse code) and "MAYDAY" (in voice) are strictly reserved for grave and imminent danger where immediate assistance is required to save a life or a vessel. They carry the highest priority on any radio frequency. During a life-threatening situation, normal amateur radio regulations are temporarily suspended, allowing an operator to use any means, frequency, or power level necessary to summon help. The distractors are incorrect because using a distress signal for a non-life-threatening event (like a weather watch) is illegal. Furthermore, there are no specific amateur time slots for SOS calls, and claiming you can "Never" use them ignores the fundamental safety exception built into all radio laws.