Local police department goes viral with impending street sign: 'We will call your mom'

A clever Virginia police department has jokingly leveraged the one thing people find scarier than speeding tickets in order to stop drivers from breaking the law.

The Haymarket Police Department installed a creative flashing sign in one of the town's 25-mph zones that warns drivers to "slow down ... or we will call your mom."

The comical threat garnered so much attention that the department took to Facebook on Friday to clarify the sign's actual purpose.

"We have been receiving many laughs and compliments on our message board in town," the department wrote. "We meant this to be funny but on a serious note, please slow down."

While the message was very clearly a joke, that didn't stop it from sending chills down the spines of social media users.

"Jail doesn’t scare me as much as the wrath of 'Momzilla,'" one woman wrote. "I'm 46 and still cringe if she gives me the 100 yard stare."

"Love It!" wrote another. "If my kid rolls thru (sic) too fast..... Call Me! She may be 23 but she’s still more afraid of mom then the police!"

"Back in the 90s y'all would have called my mom. And honestly, I'd have preferred you sent me to jail than call her," echoed a third.

Judging by the horrified comments, it seems the mom method might be an effective policy after all.

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