Operating boat or boating under the influence of alcohol and/or
drugs can cause serious injury or death. Alcohol and drugs slow
your reaction time and impair your judgment. Do not operate a
boat or allow passengers to boat while under the influence of
alcohol and/or drugs.
Boang under the inuence of alcohol or drugs can be deadly. Alcohol and/or drug use is the leading
contribung factor to all recreaonal boang fatalies. Alcohol and drugs can increase your reacon me
and impair your judgment. Combined with the sun, wind, waves, and noise of other watercra, the eects of
drugs and alcohol can be increased and can signicantly increase your reacon me. As the owner/operator,
you are responsible for the alcohol/drug use and onboard behavior of your passengers. Addionally, civil
lawsuits in cases of property damage or injury/death to others can result in signicantly higher verdicts
when alcohol or drugs are allowed.
Impaired operation may result in severe personal injury or death.
Federal and state laws prohibit operating a boat under the influence
of alcohol and other drugs. If the operator’s blood alcohol content
is above the legal limit, violators are subject to fines and may go to
jail. Violators may also lose automobile driving privileges.
Misuse of the product or use of it in a manner for which it was never intended can create dangerous
situaons. The boat operator and passengers are responsible for using the product safely and as intended.
The driver must operate the boat in a manner that ensures the safety of all passengers. If you or your
passengers are unsure about the proper use of the product, unsure about performing certain boang
maneuvers or are unsure about a parcular water acvity, refer to this manual or contact a knowledgeable
source, such as your local dealer, the US Coast Guard, or your local boang authority.
Boat operators may be required by law to le a Boang Accident report with their state boang law
enforcement agency or local authority, the USCG, or their country’s boang law enforcement agency when
their boat is involved in certain boang accidents. A boang accident must be reported if there is a loss or
probable loss of life or a personal injury requiring medical aenon beyond rst aid. In these situaons,
a formal report must generally be led within 48 hours of the accident. Also a boang accident must be
reported for accidents when damage exceeding $500 is incurred, or there is a complete loss of the boat. In
these situaons, a formal report must generally be led within 10 days. If any of these events occur, seek
further assistance from local law enforcement personnel. Please note that the submial of a report is the
responsibility of the boat owner. This requirement is dierent than laws associated with the reporng of
automobile accidents.
If you see a distress signal or suspect a boat is in trouble, you must assume it is a real emergency and
render assistance immediately. By law, the operator in charge of the cra is obligated to provide assistance to
any individual in danger, presuming assistance can be safely provided. Failure to render assistance can result in a
ne and/or imprisonment.
The 1971 Boang Safety Act grants protecon to a “Good Samaritan” boater providing good faith
assistance, and absolves a boater from any civil liability arising from such assistance.
Every waterway poses hazards that should be avoided. You will be best prepared to avoid these hazards
if you are familiar with the waterway where you are boang. Whenever possible familiarize yourself with
navigaon charts, depth charts, and waterway maps before you go boang. The following informaon
outlines some of the most common hazards which may be encountered:
Shallow Water Operaon
Shallow water brings on obvious hazards such as sand bars, stumps, rocks, etc. Know the area in
BOATING
UNDER
THE
INFLUENCE
PRODUCT
MISUSE
REPORTING
ACCIDENTS
RENDERING
ASSISTANCE
HAZARDOUS
CONDITIONS
2016 Axis Wake Research Owner’s Manual . . . Page 1-16
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