The Wallaby utility back's first-half incident on Friday was an obvious sore point in a dominant affair, as the hosts dominated the Highlanders in a 31-0 Suncorp Stadium shut-out.
Les Kiss's men emphatically snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to 4-4 despite missing a host of injured and suspended key players.
Their record against New Zealand teams this year is now 2-1 - including an extra-time loss to the unbeaten Hurricanes - already their most successful in that regard since 2013, with the Blues and Crusaders still to play.
The Highlanders (2-6) barely fired a shot in a fifth-straight loss, continually turned over by a combination of Reds pressure and unforced errors.
It was only the fourth time since the competition's inception in 1996 the Highlanders had been kept scoreless.
Petaia is off contract beyond this season and has been linked to a move to the NRL or foreign rugby.
The 24-year-old has played in two World Cups despite a string of injury setbacks.
While the centre's night was ended in an attempted tackle gone wrong, his midfield partner Hunter Paisami starred.
The nuggety No.12 used quick hands to pluck a pass and score, then used his boot and offload to pull the strings for the Reds in a confident second-half showing.
Five-eighth Tom Lynagh also took the line on and Irish lock Cormac Daly was impressive in his first Super Rugby start.
The Reds used 19 phases to score their second try, with Ryan Smith eventually banging it down for a 17-0 lead.
That's how it stayed in a subdued second half until Paisami put Lawson Creighton through a gap.
Paisami then iced the match with a clever cross-field kick that set up an easy Suliasi Vunivalu try on the final hooter to secure the Reds their biggest defeat of the Highlanders in 27 years.
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